Diamonds and Demons
by RenKain
Summary: Sequel to What Would Happen If. I'm back? What the... -On Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

And we're back! Yay! Wow this thing is really becoming a pain in the ass, though. I'll try to update as often as I can, but I cant say for sure how regular that will be. Sorry.

For all the references to what has happened in OP between the two timeframes, I am _purposely_ keeping it vague, to avoid any spoilers. I might touch on some of them later, just a forewarning. Lots of ideas for this one. Also, probably not going to keep up with the main story very well and just be a small side-story again.

As always, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Warnings: Brief Language

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><p>I continued to stare at the swordsman in disbelief as he stood over me, frowning.<p>

"Well?" he said after a moment. "Are you dead?"

"I- don't think so," I hesitated. "I didn't feel anything this time, anyway. Just sort of…tipped over."

Zoro snorted. "Go figure. You hurt?" When I shook my head he reached down and took hold of my arm, pulling me carefully to my feet. "What are you doin' here, then?"

"I have no idea," I answered numbly. I thought back to the moment right before the flash of light. I had seen a boy in the park with black hair and a red shirt. He had reminded me a lot of Luffy, although I doubted just thinking of the Straw Hat captain would have pulled me back in. I thought about them all the time.

I turned away momentarily to assess my surroundings, confirming that I was on the Thousand Sunny. I had already guessed this of course, but it still felt strange to really _know_ it.

"So, this is the Sunny," I mused out loud.

"Huh?" Zoro looked confused for a second before shaking his head. "Ah. Right. Your freaky mind power thing. I'm guessing you've already seen it."

"Yeah," I nodded. On my last visit the crew had come to the false conclusion that I was some kind of Seer and I hadn't corrected them. It was easier than trying to explain the truth. "It's a lot bigger than I though it would be, though." My sweeping gaze returned to the swordsman next to me. He was watching me patiently, stance relaxed and his frown down to a minimum now. In the faint light from the cabins, he still looked a little scary.

I took in the soft-looking black boots, half hidden pants and the dark red sash at his waist over the traditional haramaki, over to the katana on his hip before moving back up to his face. The scar across his left eye kept it closed, although it didn't seem to effect expression, apart from making him look even more intimidating than he did already. "How," I started, feeling like I already knew the answer, "how long has it been?"

"Damn near three years," Zoro scoffed. "You sure as hell took your time getting back, didn't you?" He motioned for me to follow him and began walking toward one of the two staircases that flanked the mast.

"You say that like you were expecting me," I directed at his back, trying to keep my balance on the slightly tilting grass. I still possessed nothing resembling sea legs, so to speak.

"This is the Grand Line," the swordsman answered without turning around. "I never know what to expect." He reached the top of the stairs and stopped, tilting his head around to look at me with his good eye. "It's the middle of the night, you know," he said, frowning.

"Well, it's not like I chose to come back right now," I folded my arms defensively. "Sorry if it's such an awful inconvenience for you." Honestly, I doubted some things would ever change.

"It's not," Zoro shrugged. "Luckily, some of this crew doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'sleep'." He reached out with one hand and opened the door in front of us. Immediately, I was enveloped in light and sound and _voices_, so many recognizable voices.

I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face when I saw the kid standing next to the table. "Luffy!"

Luffy whipped around at the sound of his name, some kind of pastry sticking half-way out of his mouth, and stared at me. He chewed the food, swallowed, and continued to stare.

I waited patiently, eyes stuck on the captain, as the noise in the kitchen died down to complete silence around us. Luffy was a little slow sometimes, but eventually-

"Mermaid!" Luffy jumped excitedly before running across the room and into me with enough force to knock me into Zoro, but not enough to cause any damage. Instead of moving out of the way, the stubborn swordsman planted his feet so I was effectively sandwiched between the two men. "You came back!"

"Yeah, I guess I did," I patted Luffy patiently on the shoulder and felt Zoro's rumbling chuckle against my back. Maybe the thought 'some things never changed' wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

Luffy pulled away enough to look me in the eye, frowning thoughtfully. "You know you're not actually a mermaid, right?" he said. "I've met them before."

I was about to tell him that I had never actually _claimed_ to be a mermaid when I felt two small arms wrap around my leg at the same moment as I heard the light voice of the doctor.

"Renna!" Chopper managed to push Luffy aside and pulled me further into the warmth of the kitchen. "What happened? Where've you been?"

The door closed behind us with a click and I knelt down to pull the deer into a brief hug. "Sorry about that," I apologized, letting go again. "I don't really seem to have any control of when I come here or leave again. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Who said I was worried, you bastard?" Chopper bawled. "I wasn't worried, _you_ were worried!"

"Yes, yes," Another familiar voice snickered. I looked up and got to my feet as Nami walked over to us. She smiled down at Chopper, then turned her brown eyes to me. "It's good to see you Renna. We've always wondered what happened back on that island. So, did you return home?"

I took in her long, bright hair and subtly changed features before returning the smile. "Yes. For about a year now. I don't know why I'm back though," my smile faltered a little. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, of course."

"Come eat with us!" Luffy attached himself to my arm and began pulling me toward the table. "Sanji's making a midnight snack. It's really good."

I allowed myself to be guided along, raising my eyes to see the blonde cook standing on the other side of the counter. He was leering at me with what he probably thought was a polite smile. "Sanji," I nodded, trying not to laugh at him.

"And we'll have to show you around the ship," Luffy continued his babbling as he pushed me down into a chair at the table. "And of course you haven't met Franky or Brook yet, either. Just wait, you'll be so excited! One of them is a _cyborg!_ And the other one's a talking _skeleton!_ Isn't that great?"

"Two years and he still hasn't gotten over it," Nami sighed. She seated herself across from me and looked me over. "Well, the tour can probably wait until morning, and I think Franky is asleep anyway. Brook could be anywhere. Robin's still awake in the study, though. Maybe after we eat we can go see her, as I'm sure she'll be relieved to see you in good health, too."

"Eh," I sat numbly in my chair. As wonderful as it was to see them again, I was still feeling a little over-whelmed from the whole world jumping business.

"Let's not rush her," Sanji said over my shoulder as he set a plate of sweet rolls on the table and began to pass out tall glasses of fruit drinks. "She's been gone for a long time, after all." He gave me a genuine smile when I looked around at him gratefully. "Renna, you're looking as lovely as ever, I see." He raised his head and glanced toward the door, frowning suddenly. "Where'd that moss head go?"

"He's on watch tonight," Nami answered as she passed a roll to Chopper.

I looked up, surprised. I hadn't even realized Zoro had left. "Not one for long greetings, is he?" I mused. I turned away and was met with a sweet roll less than an inch from my face.

"Here," Luffy offered. "Eat."

I took the pastry and smiled. It wasn't every day the infamous Rubber Man parted ways with some of his food so willingly. "Thanks."

"Well," Sanji sat next to me and pulled out a cigarette, "what happened? When you went back, I mean?"

"I remembered," I shrugged. "I kept living." I looked from one to the other. "I watched."

"Did you remember your name?" Chopper asked innocently.

I wrapped my fingers around the glass in my hands. Yes, I had remembered my name. Did I think it was a good idea to tell them? No. This world and mine were completely separate, it would make sense to keep myself separate, as well. I couldn't really say why, but that was I felt, and I felt it strongly. "I…"

"It doesn't matter," Nami saved me from having to answer the doctor's curious question. "You're still Renna, right?" She gave me a knowing look and smirked.

I was reminded once again just how astute the navigator really was, and nodded at her. "That's right."

Chopper looked confused for a moment before shrugging, apparently having decided that if Nami said so, it must be so.

We continued to chat, the conversation going from what I had 'seen' to what had really happened in this world, and I was surprised at how different the two actually were. It seemed like, although the key elements were all there, a few more subtle personal stories had been left out of the show. I was interested to learn some of them, which even in such a small amount took a great deal of time to retell, and by the time we had reached the group's re-gathering, both Chopper and Luffy were yawning widely.

"That's probably enough for one night," Sanji stood from the table and began to clear away the empty dishes.

"Would you like some help?" I offered.

"You're a guest," Sanji insisted. "Just relax, my dear. I'll take care of it." He picked up the dishes in one arm and moved around the counter to the sink.

"So, how long are you staying?" Luffy asked. He was leaning forward on the table, head pillowed on his arms and his straw hat over his face.

"Not sure," I answered honestly. "I don't even know why I'm here."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, I guess," Nami sighed and stretched her arms, her pink shirt pulling tightly across her chest. Honestly, sometimes I wondered how the girl didn't tip right over with those kinds of curves. "For now, let's go to bed."

"Nami's right, of course," Sanji returned to the table and plucked the half-asleep Chopper from his chair, tapping Luffy on the shoulder. "We can discuss this more in the morning."

It wasn't really that late to me, but after the shock of finding myself on the Sunny and the delicious food courtesy of Sanji I was beginning to feel a little tired, myself. "Agreed," I said. "But where-"

"With me, for tonight," Nami explained before I could even voice my question and ignored the gooey look the cook was giving her at the announcement. She was, as always, two steps ahead of the rest of us. "We'll work something else out tomorrow."

I nodded in agreement and waved at the boys as Sanji dragged them out of the kitchen, then followed Nami to the women's room. It was very…pink. Pink walls, pink boards, pink blankets. And flowers, everywhere. I felt very much like I had just walked into a garden, or a nursery. "Ah," I started, looking around. "It's nice."

Nami snorted. "No reason to pretend," she grinned. "Zoro already told me how you feel about pink."

"He did?" I was a little surprised at that. I frowned thoughtfully as Nami pulled a long nightgown out of one of the dresser drawers next to her bed. "What else did he tell you?"

Nami threw the gown to me. "Not much," she said. "Just that you don't like heights, or being carried. And you had nightmares last time you were here." She had turned away at the last one, and I had a slight suspicion she was trying to hide a grin.

"What's funny?" I asked.

"Nothing," Nami said, but her shoulders were still shaking with mirth. "I'm not laughing at you. It's just...surprising, is all."

"What is?"

Nami composed herself and walked over to the bed opposite her own, spreading another blanket across the one already neatly tucked around the mattress. "Of all the people to turn Zoro into an over-protective mess, you did it in record time. I've still never seen anything like it." She stepped back to admire her handy work and turned to face me. "Robin isn't coming down tonight, so you can sleep in her bed." She motioned at the nightgown still in my hand and began digging for her own.

I stood still in the middle of the room. "What do you mean?" I asked after another moment. "The guy was an ass."

"Yeah," Nami agreed as she finally emerged with a suitable nightgown and began to change. "while you were here, anyway." She pulled the gown over her head and gave me a long, considering look. "When you disappeared," she started seriously, "Zoro made us stay on that island for another two days to look for you. Although Robin finally managed to convince him that you had returned home, I could tell it really bothered him."

Not sure what to say to that, I changed out of my clothes and donned the nightgown, frowning in thought. What a complicated man, I mused.

"It bothered us, as well," Nami continued as she climbed into her bed. "I mean, you just _vanished_. It was really weird."

"Sorry," I said again, not really sure what I was apologizing for. The vanishing part, or the making them worry part. I walked over to Robin's bed and slid under the blanket as Nami extinguished the lamp next to her head.

"It's fine now, though," she said. "You're back, aren't you."

"Yeah," I agreed, not voicing what I was really thinking. _But for how long?_

Listening to the navigator's breathing even out until she was asleep, I finally drifted off, still wondering what the hell had brought me back to their world a second time. Unlike the last time, I really didn't think I was dead. If that was the case…what happened?

Eventually I drifted off into a dreamless sleep, only to be awoken a few hours later by a distinct, loud sound coming from the deck below me.

"_Yohohoho!_"


	2. Chapter 2

Still doing introductions, sorry if this seems like its taking a while to get going. Still plowing ahead. As always, every review is appreciated! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

Warnings: Brief Language.

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><p>The skeleton. The giant, talking skeleton.<p>

_He's harmless_, I reminded myself quickly. _He's a pervert, but he's harmless… _I opened my eyes to see Nami standing at the door of the women's room, fully dressed.

"Sounds like the rest of them are already moving around," she said casually. "Let's go see." She gave me a pointed look when I stayed where I was, ignoring my wide-eyed expression. "You coming along?"

"Those two," I started.

"Are here as well," Nami grinned. "Relax, it's fine. Let's just go have breakfast, okay? You'll have to meet them sometime anyway, right?"

I sat up and straightened the borrowed nightgown, re-tying the front to keep the extra material from slipping. "And Ussop?" I asked. I was a little disappointed the sniper hadn't been in the kitchen with us the night before.

"Yeah," Nami smiled. "He's around here somewhere. I don't think anyone's told him yet, though."

I returned the smile, happy that I would finally get to see Ussop again. I felt bad that I hadn't been able to see him one last time on that island and nodded to Nami in agreement. I was just moving the covers back when another voice, loud and obnoxious, rang through the open door.

"Hey Renna! Get your lazy ass down here so we can eat!"

"That guy," I growled, leaping from the bed and running past a confused looking Nami, out into the hall, "is in for a world of hurt!"

Nami turned away from the sound of Zoro's voice to watch me from the doorway. "Wait a minute, Renna."

There was just something about the swordsman that got under my skin sometimes, and I conveniently disregarded the fact that I had spent the last year missing his scowling presence as I hurled myself through the ship. Forgetting I was still in nothing but the nightgown I stomped down to the kitchen and threw the door open, shouting as I did so, "What the hell is so important, Zoro! You can't wait _two minutes_, you crazy cave man?"

Zoro was sitting at the long table between Luffy and a woman with long black hair, leaning back in his chair and looking completely unfazed by my outburst. "See?" he smirked at Luffy. "Told you."

Sanji had paused in the middle of carrying a platter of hot cakes to the table, glancing toward the swordsman with a startled expression. "I can't believe that worked," he mused.

Realizing I had been tricked, I lunged angrily at the still smirking swordsman, only to be stopped by the black-haired woman as she stood and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I took a closer look. "Robin!" I said happily. I had seen her new physical appearance before, of course, but still hadn't recognized her immediately in person.

Robin released me with a smile. "Miss Renna," she greeted. "I see you've been doing quite well in your absence. Still very determined too, apparently."

"Ah, well," I grinned sheepishly, then pointed at Zoro. "He started it." It was probably not the most mature argument I could have made, but I stuck with it.

"Hey," the swordsman scowled. "You were taking too long. I want to eat sometime before my hair turns grey, you know."

I had just opened my mouth to point out that it would probably look better than 'green' when a polite cough caught my attention.

"Excuse me, young lady," a cordial voice came from behind me. "May I see your-"

"Knock it off!" Sanji shouted. There was a loud thump and a low groan, and I turned my head to see what was taking place beside the counter.

The cook was standing next to an incredibly tall skeleton sporting an afro and dressed in some kind of suit-and-feathers get-up. The platter was still in Sanji's hand and his foot was in the air about where I guessed the skeleton's chin had been a second before, as the bone mass was now leaning back against the wall. Damn, that cook was _flexible_.

"Harsh!" The skeleton squeaked as Sanji put his foot back down on the floor. He straightened himself immediately and directed a sweeping bow toward me. "Of course he is correct," the jaws of the skull clacked together around the audible words. "I must introduce myself first."

"You're Brook, right?" I asked, pushing back the absolute absurdity and plain _creepiness_ of an animated skeleton talking to me like a normal person. Not that anyone on this ship was normal, per se. The pile of bones froze for a moment and, to my astonishment, crumpled to the floor in a sobbing heap.

"That's-my-line," Brook muttered.

"Uhm," I hesitated, unsure whether to apologize or not, but was saved from the decision by Nami coming into the kitchen.

"Ignore him," she waved a hand at Brook's shuddering form, tilting her head to Sanji as he set the platter on the table. "He'll be fine." She turned to Zoro, giving him a calculating glare, before shrugging and sitting down opposite Luffy. Zoro raised the eyebrow above his good eye at her but didn't say anything, his smirk back in place.

I glanced between the two, trying and failing to decode the silent exchange, when I felt something warm and soft being placed around my bare shoulders. I looked over in surprise as Sanji pulled away from me. He had removed his jacket and was walking back toward the kitchen counter. As expected, I lowered my gaze to see the black material now successfully covering my top half. "Thanks," I nodded to him, pulling my arms through the sleeves.

Brook picked himself up off the floor and sat down at the other end of the table, long legs stretched out in front of him. He seemed to have rebounded from his earlier depression at an alarming speed as he gave a skeletal grin to the captain.

"Come sit down, Renna," Robin gestured to the seat next to her and sat herself beside Zoro again. "We'd better hurry if we want to have anything to eat."

Belatedly, I remembered the appetite of the captain and hastily took the offered seat. "Right."

Luffy reached for the entire platter and Zoro grabbed him by the elbow to stop him. I heard the faint click of metal as Luffy stretched his other arm around to clutch Zoro by the sleeve, glaring at his swordsman. Three seconds into the meal and they were already itching for a fight.

"Not at the table," Nami warned. "There's plenty to eat here, so at least _try_ to control yourselves. Unless you want to end up paying for your food, if you know what I mean." Her glare became dangerous and the two men quickly let go of each other as Sanji returned with several more platters and bottles of sauce. The cook left briefly, only to come back a third time with a tray of drinks.

A kind of controlled chaos followed and Robin managed to grab a couple of hot cakes before they could disappear, setting them on the plate in front of me. "You're hair is shorter," she noted.

I reached up and tugged at my dark curls, which now fell to just past my shoulders. "Yeah," I agreed. "It was getting too long." I bit into a hot cake and practically melted in my chair. So. Damn. _Good_. I must have been making a dreamy face, because the sound of Nami's chuckling could be heard from across the table.

"Bet you missed this," she smiled.

"Definitely," I agreed, not just to the wonderful food reference but also the company. It may be like eating at a zoo, minus the smell, but it was still much more relaxing than any other meal I had eaten in a long time.

"So, Miss Renna, is it?" the skeleton, Brook, spoke up above the clatter and semi-quiet squabbles around the table. "How is it such a lady has, inadvertently I'm sure, come to be acquainted with such fierce and noble pirates as these?"

"Hm," I shrugged, still chewing on a piece of hot cake. It wasn't really a simple story to begin with, and I wasn't sure where to start.

"She died," Zoro filled in helpfully. "This one can't keep herself out of trouble for more than a few minutes at a time."

"You're one to talk," I shot back, leaning around Robin to glare at him. "How many times have you almost kicked the bucket now? About three hundred?"

Zoro only looked confused. "Why the hell would I kick a bucket?"

"Is it a game?" Luffy asked, spitting bits of chewed food all over his plate and the swordsman. Zoro gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs and he closed his mouth.

"No," I directed at the captain, "it's-"

"You'd better not be kicking any buckets," Sanji had come to the table and was sitting next to Nami, scowling darkly at Zoro. "I need those for cleaning, shitty moss head."

"Well, it's-" I tried again.

"Why wouldn't you just cut a bucket?" Luffy asked, looking at Zoro as if the green-haired man had done something incredibly stupid. "You're a swordsman, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Zoro rounded on Luffy. "And I have never-"

"I believe it is only an expression," Robin cut in before another fight could break out. She turned her head toward me with a knowing grin. "Right?"

"Yes," I said, exasperated but amused despite myself. I had forgotten what a wild bunch this crew could be at times. "Just an expression for dying."

"Yohohoho!" Brook slapped the table with mirth, making the half-empty glasses around him tip dangerously. "The young lady is certainly interesting, isn't she?"

Zoro scoffed and sat back, apparently having eaten his fill. "She's just a pain in the ass, is all." He leaned back around Robin to frown at me. "And I've never died yet," he said. "So that still leaves me a step ahead of you."

I reached around Robin to pinch that gloating look right off his face but was distracted mid-move by the kitchen door opening again. I stopped as Chopper and Ussop filed in, followed by a hulking, blue-haired man I had to assume was Franky. Forgetting about Zoro I stood from the chair and hopped around the table, launching myself at the sniper. "Ussop!"

Ussop looked up from talking to Chopper just in time to catch me as I reached him. "Renna!" he said happily. "I almost couldn't believe it when Chopper said you were back! But," his grin faded just a little. "How did you get here?"

"Apparently she 'tipped over'," Zoro quoted from the table.

I spun around just long enough to snap at him, "Would you knock it off?" before turning back to Ussop. "Not sure," I shrugged. "Just kind of happened."

He pulled the brim of his white bucket hat up a little to see me better and stepped back. "Doesn't that worry you?" he asked.

"A bit," I admitted. I gave him a proper once-over and smirked. "Been lifting weights, or what?" I asked, and bit down on a laugh as Ussop began to visibly preen.

"Yes, well," he said dramatically, "I am the great Captain Ussop, after all. You didn't expect me to stay the way I was forever, did you?" He grinned fully and raised his arm in a mock muscle-show, and I really did laugh at that.

"Hey now, bro," the big cyborg stepped closer to us. "You gonna do introductions, or do I have to guess?"

"Sorry," I stepped away from Ussop before the sniper could reply and looked up at Franky. He was huge, bulging metal frame taking up a good amount of space on this side of the kitchen. Despite his size, I wasn't as intimidated by him as I though I would be. "My name's Renna." I nodded to him and gave a polite wave. I was getting strangely used to the name. It was surprising, considering I had only used it for such a short time before now.

"Nice to meet you," the cyborg grinned down at me. "I'm Franky."

"She knows," Sanji said as he stood from the table to make breakfast for the late-comers. "Remember the 'Mermaid Seer' we told you about before?" he turned at the counter and tilted his chin toward me, as his arms were now full of discarded plates. "This is her."

Franky stared at the cook, then back to me. "You mean," he said slowly, "the one who vanished just before we met? The one," he gave a loud sniff, "who struggled in this world, looked danger bravely in the face and forged such strong bonds of friendship before returning to her safe haven like a fallen angel?" Franky was nearly in tears at this point and I backed away from him quickly.

"Eh," I said, "that's not really how I would describe it, but yeah. Essentially, anyway." I looked over at Ussop desperately, but he simply shrugged. Shooting the sniper a look that said, _thanks a lot pal_, I took a cautious step forward, toward the big man now bawling like a baby. "If it makes you feel better," I started slowly, "I'm…uhm…sorry?" I had been apologizing quite often lately, and for something that hadn't even been my fault.

Franky covered his face with one enormous hand and sniffed again.

"Really," I said as comforting as I could, "there's no need to cry."

"As if I would!" Franky sobbed. I was starting to see a resemblance to the dear little doctor as he continued. "I wouldn't waste my manly tears on a stranger, anyway! Haven Renna!"

"Did you just re-name her?" Nami asked, looking on from her seat at the nearly empty table. She turned to Robin, Zoro and Luffy. "Can he do that?"

Zoro was too busy ignoring everyone to pay attention, so Robin shrugged for the both of them. "I don't see why not," the dark haired woman answered. "If it's alright with Renna."

Luffy was busy scrawling something on a napkin with what I guessed was a piece of charcoal, although where he had unearthed that from I wasn't about to ask. He finished his project, tongue caught between his teeth, and flipped his head up with his trademark smile. "Got it!" he announced and held the napkin out for Nami to take, still grinning.

Nami took it gingerly and set in on the table in front of her. "You've misspelled 'Haven'," she told him. "It's H-A-V-E-N, not H-A-E-V-E-N. But whatever, I guess it works."

I, watching the exchange from where I stood between Ussop and Franky, gave Nami a wondering look. "Did I just get a last name?" _From _Franky_ of all people? _I added silently.

"Seems like it," Nami nodded.

"Okay!" Luffy leaped from the table and right over Brook, landing in front of me. "Tour time! I wanna show you the ship!" He grabbed my wrist and began tugging me toward the door.

"Alright, alright," I pulled back gently. "Just let me get dressed first, Luffy."

Luffy pouted for a fraction of a second before shooting out the door, his head staying in place long enough to yell. "Kay! Meet me on the deck!" Then his face was gone, as well.

I chuckled and turned back to Nami. "I don't actually have a choice, do I?"

"Nope," she answered cheerfully. "Let's go."

I waved to the others as we left the kitchen, feeling nervous for the first time as to what I was getting myself into. I hadn't thought about it before, being too preoccupied with seeing everyone again, but I recognized that the part of the Grand Line the Sunny was currently sailing was at least ten times as dangerous as the one I had seen during my last visit.

If I wasn't dead already, I could very well be by the end of this trip.


	3. Chapter 3

Ah! I can't believe no one's called me out on mixing up the fore and aft decks of the Sunny! And I really can't believe I didn't even notice until now! Sorry! I've put it right in this one, though, sorry again.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Mild Language.

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><p>Everyone but Sanji and Robin had cleared out of the kitchen by the time I had returned with Nami, dressed again in my dark green sweater, jeans and running shoes. Nami, wearing a pair of soft blue pants and a white turtleneck shirt, had given my clothing ensemble a curious look but didn't comment on it, apparently chalking it up to my weird, 'otherworldly' behavior. I didn't see the difference between her clothing and mine, but obviously I was missing something.<p>

Sanji looked up from the counter as we came back into the kitchen. "Would you ladies care for something warm to drink?" he asked. "The temperature is still a little below normal right now, after all."

"No," Nami waved him away without looking at him and continued through the kitchen to the other side, snatching a piece of paper from the wall and tucking it into her pocket. I wondered about the action but shrugged it off and turned to Sanji instead as Nami spun on her heel and walked back toward the door we had just come through.

"Still full from breakfast," I explained to the cook with a smile. "But thanks." I moved to follow the redhead when Robin, reading a book at the newly-cleaned table, raised her eyes with a frown.

"Be careful, Miss Renna," she said mildly. "This is not the same as the Grand Line you saw the last time."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I was afraid of that." I shot her a nervous grin. "I'll do my best." Even more wary than I was before, I hurried after Nami, out onto the upper walking deck of the Sunny. This was going to be dangerous, I thought. But I had survived it once, barely, and I would just have to manage not to die before I found my way back home again. Staying as close as possible to the strongest members of this crew was my best bet.

Luffy was chatting with Franky at the bottom of the stairs and looked up with a wide smile when we walked down to meet him. "Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," I sighed.

"Good," Luffy walked across the grass and flipped back a hidden hatch, revealing a round hole in the deck. "Let's go. I wanna show you something." He hopped through it and out of sight.

Nami moved with me and looked down into the opening as we approached. "Have you mastered ladders yet?" she smirked, clearly remembering my last experience with trying to climb down the side of the Merry.

"Yeah," I laughed. "I think I've got it." Grateful for the time I had spent on my new exercise regime, I lowered myself onto the wooden ladder and followed the captain below deck.

I made it to the second-to-last step before my foot slipped and I had to grip the rung above me to keep from falling. Letting myself drop the rest of the way onto a small platform, an entire ten inches or so, I heard Luffy snickering behind me. Turning to ask him what was so funny I stopped myself mid-sentence. I was standing on a round turn-table, with thick pegs sticking out from the sides. He wanted to show me the Soldier Dock System?

I hopped down and listened to Luffy yammer on excitedly about the paddles and boats, pretending to be impressed. I had seen them at work several times before, but the captain must have forgotten this, or simply not considered it. He even turned the table to raise the metal doors to show me Franky's creations first-hand, and I found I actually _was_ a little impressed by the machines.

Then we climbed back up to the deck, and it was on to the rest of the ship. The library, the bathhouse, Ussop's work room, Chopper's examining room, the aquarium room, the bunks, and finally back to the deck. I kept my grumbling to myself as much as I could. Why the _hell_ were there so many damn ladders on this ship?

Luffy had continued an ongoing stream of commentary the entire time, and I was beginning to feel a little dizzy from all the chatter. To distract myself, I looked at the slide on the other side of the deck, across from the stairs, then over to the wooden swing hanging a few feet away from us. I smiled. It was just so 'Luffy'.

"Isn't it cool?" Luffy asked me, finally pausing to take a breath.

"Yes, it is," I nodded to him. I lifted my gaze to the observation room at the top of the second mast. It was the only place we hadn't been yet, and I was grateful for that. Unfortunately Luffy noticed where I was looking and gave a wicked grin.

"Wanna?" he asked.

"No," I said firmly. "Besides, Zoro's probably sleeping up there anyway. Let's go back to the aquarium room. That place is amazing."

"Alright," Luffy agreed. "The top room, then the aquarium."

"I don't really-" I started. Luffy grabbed me around the waist and stretched his other arm all the way up to the ropes below the observation room. We shot from the deck like a rocket and he put one foot out to stop us as I grabbed onto yet another ladder that had appeared in front of me. Luffy landed on the rung under me and gripped the ladder on either side, effectively trapping me in place.

"-like heights," I finished, flattening myself against the wood of the rungs. I whipped my head around and glared at Luffy over my shoulder. Evil brat. "Why do you even ask if you're just going to do it anyway?"

Luffy gave me a grin and a nudge, and I had no choice but to climb even higher to the door above us. He reached past me to push it open and I hauled myself through.

I sat on the floor as Luffy climbed up after me, looking around the circular room. It was…messy. Of course, what else would I expect of the domain belonging to the irritating swordsman known as Roronoa Zoro? Weights and towels littered the floor and shelves in no particular order. The telescopes were turned to unusable angles and the windows looked like they had dirt streaks all over them. Moving my gaze a little further along the bench I noticed I was right about my earlier observation.

Zoro was laying on his back on the bench, one arm folded behind his head and snoring lightly. Great, I thought sourly. The last thing I wanted to deal with right now was accidentally waking a sleeping demon.

Luffy didn't seem to care as he landed on the floor next to me. "Look out the window," he said in a very much not inside voice. "You can see a lot from up here." He bounded over to the bench and plopped down next to Zoro's head, pressing his face against the glass. The swordsman didn't even twitch.

"A lot of what?" I asked, joining him a second later but moving much more slowly. Even from the safety of the other side of the glass, we were still too far up for my comfort level. "Ocean?"

Luffy didn't answer, his grin fading for a moment before returning at full force. "Hey, look!" he shouted happily, bounding from the bench again and running over to one of the telescopes. He turned it to face the right direction and looked through it. "I see…yep! That's it!"

"What?" I asked, curious despite my fear of heights. "What is it?"

Luffy shot a grin my way before spinning around and leaping through the hole in the floor. "An island!" he crowed as he disappeared.

"Luffy, wait!" I ran to the door and grabbed the top of the ladder, leaning down to call to the captain. "Don't just leave me up here!" When Luffy didn't answer, I ignored my pounding heart and chanced lowering myself a little more, kneeling on the floor and tightening my grip, until my head was all the way through the door.

"Hey," the rumbling voice from behind me nearly scared me out of my skin.

I whipped around to see Zoro still laying on the bench in the same pose, eyes closed. It looked like he hadn't moved a muscle, but obviously he hadn't actually been sleeping. "What?"

"Don't get over-confident," he warned, not opening his eye. "A fall like that might not effect Luffy much, but _you'll_ definitely feel it."

"I'm careful," I scowled at him, although I knew he couldn't even see me. "I wont fall."

Zoro gave a quiet snort. "You could fall off a chair while tied to it," he scoffed. "Just get away from the door. I'm too tired to jump after you of you go through."

"Not much of a morning person, are you?" I glowered at him but stood from the opening in the floor and moved toward the telescope Luffy had been using instead.

An island? Already? I scanned the horizon carefully. It took another moment but eventually I saw what had made the captain leave the observation room so quickly. A tiny dot stuck out between sky and ocean, the waves cresting in high white peaks around it. I was still far in the distance, although with the speed the Sunny was capable of traveling I figured it wouldn't be too long before the landmass was fully in view. "Well, crap," I muttered. I turned back to the swordsman. "Zoro."

He grumbled an inaudible response and moved his arm over his face.

"I want to go back down to the deck," I told him.

"So?"

"So," I bit out, stomping down my own pride to ask, "can you take me?"

"After my nap," he rumbled.

I stared at him before shouting, "_After_ your-! Why after?" I had been in the same room with the man for less than five minutes and I already wanted to kick him. Hard. I thought vaguely that if I could have lifted one of those big weights I would have dropped it on his head, since there wasn't much to damage there anyway. As it was, all I could really do was glare angrily at him, and he wasn't even paying attention, the bastard.

Zoro growled in annoyance and turned on his side, facing the back of the bench. "It's either that," he said, "or wait for Luffy to remember he left you up here."

I stomped to the other side of the room and back again, trying to think about anything other than how far from the safety of the deck I was at the moment. I was hit with an idea and rounded on Zoro again. "Where's that speaker thing?" I demanded. If I could get the captain to come back up, I could get out of here as soon as possible.

"It's broken," Zoro said. "Dropped a weight on it yesterday."

"Gah!" I threw my hands up in the air and walked off again, carefully avoiding the hole in the floor and managing to keep myself from looking out the windows too much. How many things could possibly go wrong in such a short amount of time? Returning to the bench I glared down at the side of the muscle man's head. "Why would you do that?" I shouted.

"Renna," Zoro growled slowly, "if you don't stop waking me up ever three seconds I'm going to toss you overboard."

I stomped over to the bench and sat down by his head with a huff, folding my arms angrily. "Fine," I snapped. "And since when do you call me that, anyway?" Come to think of it, he had said it this morning, too.

Zoro grumbled again and rolled onto his back. "Jeez, woman," he scowled. "What the hell do you _want_? I call you that because it's your name. Be. Quiet." He sighed loudly and put his arm back over his face.

I sat back, still pissed but trying to control it as best I could, and attempted to keep myself occupied by looking around the room again. I was usually a fairly patient person, but after about fifteen minutes of doing absolutely nothing I couldn't help it. "This is boring."

"That's it!" Zoro rolled from the bench and replaced his katana in one swift movement. Picking me up in one arm he strode across the room and stepped through the horizontal door, beginning a terrifying freefall toward the deck with me clinging to his front and shrieking as we descended.

"Zoro!" I screamed. "You crazy bastard! What the hell are you doing? Are you insane? _We're going to die!_"

Zoro caught the rigging of the sails and jumped from one rope to the other with apparent ease, completely ignoring my furious ranting. "You said you wanted to go back to the deck," he grinned, clearly enjoying scaring the daylights out of me.

I closed my eyes and held on until I felt his feet hit the grass. Cracking them open again I noticed he was still grinning. The cave man was going to pay for that, I vowed silently. One way or another. Zoro set me down on my unsteady feet as Sanji came bolting into view from the wheel of the Sunny and ran to the railing of the fore deck.

"What's going on?" he yelled.

Zoro didn't answer the cook, looking down at me. "You can let go now," he pointed out.

I slowly unhooked my clawed fingers from the front of his robe-like clothing and pushed him as hard as I could, which still didn't do much. "What's the matter with you?" I shouted. "You couldn't warn me first?"

"I assumed you were expecting it," Zoro shrugged casually. "Since you're the one who asked me to bring you back."

"Not like that!" I was starting to get over the shock of the fall but I was still furious with him. "Can't you use ladders like everyone else?" I purposely didn't mention that Luffy hadn't really been making much use of the ladders, either.

The swordsman stepped back and shook his head. "You've already been spending too much time with Nami," he frowned. "Have a little faith, would you?"

At the mention of the navigator I suddenly remembered the white waves around the island I had seen earlier and stopped myself mid-insult. I couldn't claim to know much about nautical navigation, but judging from what I had seen from this show, waves like that could only mean one of two possibilities. While the first was quite harmless, the other could cause a severe problem for the ship. And with the luck of this crew so far, I was betting it was the latter.

"What?" Sanji shouted from the upper deck at Zoro's comment. "What's that supposed to mean, moss head? Nami is a perfect example of how a lady should behave. And what did you do to Renna, you barbarian?"

"I'm fine," I called up to him. "No harm done."

Zoro looked at me in surprise but I ignored him and walked off to the stairs on the other side of the deck in the direction of the cabin. If Sanji wanted to yell at the annoying moron I wasn't about to stop him, but I no longer felt the need. As unconventional as his methods were, Zoro had in fact done as I asked, and that was enough for now.

"Don't go too far, Renna dear," Sanji called from behind me. "We'll be landing in less than an hour."

"I know," I waved back to her over my shoulder, not wanting to raise a false alarm. "I just have to talk Nami. I'll be right back." I ran up the stairs of the aft deck, headed for the library. I hoped I was wrong about those waves.


	4. Chapter 4

Phew, finally finished this one. Still not as quickly as I would like but since my muses are taking frequent breaks (I swear, they get lazier every week) I've had to wait for them to come back before putting final touches on anything. Sorry about the wait on this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Brief, Mild Language.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! It's always appreciated!

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><p>Nami wasn't in the study. Or the kitchen. Or the aquarium room. None of the crew I ran into along the way had seen her recently, either. The search took another twenty minutes, and now we were getting close to running out of time.<p>

Finally, I went to Ussop's work station to ask him where the navigator might be hiding. I never made it to the bottom of the stairs, as Nami came bolting up toward me. "Nami!" I reached for her but missed as she skirted around me and took off toward the deck.

"Can't right now!" she squeaked. "Volcanoes!"

"That's what I came to tell you," I ran up the stairs after her. "I saw something around that island earlier." I followed her all the way to the wheel of the ship.

Nami pushed Sanji to one side and began turning it as hard as she could. She only managed to turn it three-quarters when the tide started fighting back. Giving it another futile tug, Nami changed tact. "Sanji, help me!" she shouted at the man she had knocked to the deck seconds before.

Sanji bounced to his feet with all the energy of a triathlon runner. "Yes, Nami!" he answered before taking the helm. "Where to?"

"Starboard full," Nami commanded before turning and shouting across the deck to the other cabins. "Everyone out here, now!"

I immediately dropped to my knees as the Sunny turned more sharply than I would have thought possible for a ship this size, not willing to fall over again. I looked up to watch Zoro, Ussop and Franky running across the foredeck toward us, their feet tilted and their bodies angled to accommodate the Sunny's motion. Show-offs.

Zoro and Franky ran past me to Nami, Ussop pausing just long to ask me why I was on the floor before following them without waiting for an answer. Not that I was really in the frame of mind to give one as I felt the deck beneath my fingers begin to tremble and knew we were nearly right on top of the underwater volcanoes.

_Why an island with volcanoes? _I thought frantically. Why not just a nice, normal island without anything trying it's damnedest to maim, drown or eat this crew?

Why? Because it was _this crew_.

The skeleton came bounding up the stairs next, swinging his cane and laughing as the first eruption broke through the surface of the water not far from the Sunny, sending waves of ocean crashing into the bow.

Nami began dishing out orders to move the ship, only half of which I even understood, and turned to where I was still crouched on the deck as the four men ran off again.

"Renna, get downstairs and stay in my room!" she shouted over the next explosion, this one just a little closer than the last. "If we get hit by an eruption you could go flying off the Sunny!"

"If one of those things hits us we'll _all_ go flying off the Sunny!" I pointed out from where I was splayed across the flat wood. Still, being below deck was sounding like a pretty good idea at the moment. If only I could get there without rolling off the ship into the water…

Why did everything in this world have to be ten times more dangerous than in mine? I couldn't remember ever even hearing about an underwater volcano erupting so suddenly, or with so much force behind it. The least I could hope for was that it didn't release too much toxic gas or something as equally lethal.

"Which way, Nami dear?" Sanji asked as another eruption rocked the Sunny.

I didn't hear the navigator's reply as I was now tumbling along the deck toward the railing, banging my knee painfully against the boards. "Ack!"

"Renna!" Something huge and hairy grabbed me before I could spill over the side and pulled me back to safety. "Are you okay?"

I looked up at the now enormous doctor and had to keep from shrieking in his face, as I figured that might be considered quite rude. I had actually never seen Chopper's transformation first-hand. He really _did _look like a gorilla. I forced myself to recover from the shock as quickly as I could. "Yeah, thanks."

"Chopper, get her out of here!" Nami commanded, grabbing the railing around the wheel as the Sunny tipped wildly.

The doctor scooped me up and ran toward the stairs, keeping his footing surprisingly well for such a big person…animal…thing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tried not to pull on his fur too much.

Chopper managed to get me down to the girls' room and walked inside, leaning against the doorframe and holding me up when the ship bucked suddenly, vibrating with the force of the eruptions. "Stay in here until someone comes to get you," he ordered before disappearing again, closing the door behind him.

I didn't remember the reindeer being quite so bossy before, although, I reasoned, I was the weakest person on this ship. It was probably just his healer's instincts kicking in, trying to protect the ones who couldn't protect themselves. I sat heavily on Robin's bed to avoid being thrown into the wall and listened to Sanji and Zoro shouting angrily at each other from the riggings. Not being able to see what was happening was much worse than I thought it would be and, while I had no desire to be tossed into the middle of an aquatic mine field, I had to try not to pace around the small room as I waited.

Another explosion, this one right next to the Sunny, rattled the walls with enough force to knock several books down from Robin's bookshelf and I scooted over to get out of their path as they bounced off the bed onto the floor. It occurred to me then that the crew probably spent a lot of time cleaning the cabins after any kind of major event, what with everything being tossed every which way when the ship lurched around like this.

After what seemed like forever but was probably only a few minutes the ride became much smoother and I let out the last breath I had been holding. Was it over? I waited a little longer, frozen on the edge of Robin's bed, listening as hard as I could for any sounds coming from outside the room.

A sharp rapping sounded at the door and I heard Zoro's voice a moment later, "Come on out. It's fine."

Practically flying from the bed I threw the door open to bolt outside, eager to check on the crew despite the fact that I already expected everyone to be alright. They were incredibly strong, after all. What I hadn't expected was for the swordsman to still be standing directly outside the door. I bounced off his broad chest with a startled 'Oomph' and tumbled back into the room, landing hard on my tailbone.

"Ow," I glared reproachfully up at him.

"What's the matter with you?" Zoro frowned at me. "Why are you so jumpy?"

I bit back an angry retort and got to my feet, brushing past him to run out onto the deck and calling for the navigator. "Nami!"

Zoro followed me up the stairs, still frowning as I reached the foredeck and spotted Nami standing next to Sanji and grinning widely at a job well done. She turned and waved to us as I jogged up to her, being as careful as I could not to slip on the wet deck.

"Looks like you made it through okay," Nami observed. "And we've arrived in one piece, too."

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I was trying to find you earlier, I though I saw something in the water but I wasn't sure-"

"It's fine," Nami waved away my apology. "I was kind of expecting something like this anyway. There were rumors…" She trailed off, turning around to look out toward the front of the Sunny.

Following her gaze I noticed we were now fast approaching what looked like a small town at the edge of the island, surrounded by trees on three sides and ocean on the fourth. I felt the familiar apprehension beginning again as the island drew closer. The crew I could manage, but there were still far more dangerous things dotting the civilizations and forests alike in this world. I unconsciously moved closer to the navigator and she chuckled.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Nothing we can't handle, you know that."

Yes, I did know they could handle it. But could I? Edging out a little further I watched as we sailed close enough to sight a working port and Nami gave directions for bringing the ship in to dock. I suspected her orders were more out of habit at this point, since the guys seemed to be more than used to doing that very thing. The girl had to keep up appearances, I though in mild amusement.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Ussop standing beside me, grinning.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No," I answered truthfully. "Not really."

Ussop laughed and drew away, calling over his shoulder as he descended the stairs behind Zoro, "I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think this island is too dangerous. We've seen far worse, anyway."

That really didn't make me feel any better, but I kept my worries to myself as the Sunny pulled into port and I got a better look at the sea-side town.

The buildings were mostly white or grey, stretching inland and spreading out along the coast in a very unobtrusive manner. A few merchants with carts dotted the dirty streets just past the docks, looking slightly bedraggled and completely silent. It was a little depressing, honestly.

I followed Nami down to the grassy middle deck and paused in surprise when she turned and pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and held it out in front of me. "What's this?" I asked. I was pretty sure it was the same paper she had taken from the wall in the kitchen earlier.

"Directions," Nami explained. "I need you to take Zoro into the woods on the west side of the town."

"Can I leave him there?" I scoffed, taking the paper from her and looking it over. It was a map of the town and surrounding forest, lined with little roads and labels for just about everything. On the far left side was what looked like a small building, surrounded by tiny trees and labeled, 'Shogun'. I frowned thoughtfully. "Shogun?"

"It's the only name he goes by," Nami shrugged, pushing her long hair behind her shoulders. "Zoro can protect you if anything happens, but it'll take him three days to find the place on his own."

"Why do I have to take him?" I wondered out loud at the risk of sounding whiny and petulant. I was remembering the last time I had been sent onto an island with the swordsman. It had been interesting, to say the least.

"I would do it myself but I have to try to find a somewhat reliable map of the next island," Nami explained with a hint of sympathy. "Robin and Chopper are going to the bookstore, Ussop and Franky will be headed for the only armor and mechanic supply shop and Sanji is going to the market. Brook volunteered to stay and guard the Sunny, so that leaves you." She smiled encouragingly. "Really Renna, it's a good thing you're here or I'd have to send him by himself. With you around it will go much faster."

"Where's Luffy?" I asked. Nami pointed to the island and I sighed. I probably could have guessed that on my own. More than likely the captain had been off the ship before it was even fully docked.

I sighed again in defeat and tucked the paper into the pocket of my jeans. I knew the navigator was using flattery to make me more agreeable to her plan, and I also knew that if she was that desperate I would help her without too much complaint. I already owed them quite a bit after all, and was relieved she wasn't asking for money instead. "Alright," I said as neutrally as I could manage. "Where is he?"

I really, _really_ didn't want to go. Not that I thought the swordsman was incapable of dealing with whatever we might run into, I just didn't want to run into anything in the first place. Why tempt fate? However, Ussop had said the island was relatively safe and I believed him. Then again, I corrected myself, Ussop was a liar.

I tried to stop the doubts floating around in my head and focused on Nami as she answered, "Behind you."

Turning, I watched Zoro walk up to us from the door of the men's sleeping quarters, scowling darkly. Obviously Nami had already told him of this plan of hers, I thought with a hint of mean-spirited satisfaction. Only the navigator, and the cook I supposed, could make Zoro look that irritated.

He stopped beside us, glaring at me with his one good eye and addressing Nami. "This had better be worth it, witch."

Nami looked like she wanted to kick him but controlled the urge in favor of getting everyone off the ship and where they needed to be. "Just do it," she snapped before turning away to walk over to Robin, Chopper, Franky and Ussop as the group moved toward the side of the Sunny. I could see Sanji already standing on the dock, waiting for the others.

I followed the swordsman to the railing and started toward the ladder with the rest of them when I felt him grab my arm to stop me. I looked over at him, curious. "What?"

"Nuh-uh," he shook his head a fraction. "I remember you and ladders. That'll take way too long. We're getting this over with."

I was about to ask him what the hell he meant by that when he crouched down in front of me and pulled me up onto his back piggy-back style, moving so fast I couldn't quite hold in a squeak of surprise. My knee knocked against the hilts of his katana, the same knee I had hit on the deck earlier, and I smacked him on the shoulder in irritation as he stood up again. "Finesse, cave man," I scolded. "Finesse."

Zoro ignored me and took a flying leap off the side of the Sunny to the dock below, making me forget about my knee completely as I clutched at him to keep from slipping. I squeaked again, this time in fear and irritation, and braced myself as we hit the wood of the dock and he let me slip back down to the ground. Looking over his shoulder briefly to see if I was following, Zoro started across the dock toward the town without a word.

Not having much choice in the matter if I didn't want to be left behind, I checked to make sure the paper was still safely in my pocket and followed behind him, glaring daggers at his back.

This was going to be a long trip.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, fifth chapter! Sorry again this one is taking so long, I keep getting distracted.

As always, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Not many this time

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><p>Several minutes after leaving the ship, I paused beside a corner and tugged on Zoro's sleeve to keep him from wandering off as I checked the map again. There seemed to be only one way to reach the path leading to the building in the woods from the main roads, but finding it was proving more difficult than I had first thought. There were a <em>lot <em>of roads.

The situation was not helped by the fact that I was also in charge of making sure the swordsman didn't leave my sight, as I didn't think I would be able to find him again if he did. The small town wasn't quite as small as I had first thought and the streets winding through it every which way reminded me strongly of a residential labyrinth. Even with Nami's map I had to continuously check our progress to make sure we hadn't missed a turn, or that we were still on the road we were supposed to be on.

Keeping Zoro close by was turning out to be much more of a challenge than I would have expected. After grabbing his arm several times to stop him from taking a wrong turn, despite the fact that I was walking in a completely different direction than where he was headed, I finally gave in and took a handful of his sleeve to guide him. I doubted I could actually steer the swordsman using just my own strength, but if he never felt the pulling he certainly heard my annoyed corrections and would turn to look at me, following wherever I was pointing and not saying much.

We hadn't even left the town yet and I could already understand why Nami had sent a babysitter with him. It hadn't ever occurred to me to be humanly possible to get lost walking in a straight line but Zoro seemed to have mastered it anyway.

"I'm pretty sure we've already passed that building," Zoro said suddenly, looking up at the shop behind us.

"We've never passed that building," I answered shortly as I followed the lines on the map with my eyes. "This is a new street. The next turn down should take us to the bridge, then across to the main road heading out of town." Holding the map in one hand and Zoro's sleeve in the other I continued down the street at a steady pace.

We rounded the corner and walked a few more blocks but when no bridge came into view I let go of Zoro and turned the map around, frowning. "Well, that's weird," I said, stopping in the middle of the wide street to read the map better. "There should be one around- Ah!" Before I had time to register what was happening Zoro was behind me, pushing me forward and half-drawing one of his katana with a soft hiss. "What? What is it?"

"The hell do you want?" the swordsman rumbled in a tone I had never heard him use with my own ears. I turned around and looked up at him, shocked, then realized he wasn't directing the question toward me. He was glaring at a ragged-looking man standing a few yards away with a dagger in his hand, watching us with hungry eyes.

"Gi-give me money," the stranger demanded in a falsely threatening voice. "Any beri you have. Now." The dagger trembling in his grip severely lessened the visible threat, the man seemed terrified. Moving my gaze back to Zoro, I could immediately understand why.

Despite this being my second trip, and all the time I had spent watching this crew, I had nearly forgotten how intimidating and just plain _dangerous_ the swordsman actually was. Even without the dark hood tied around his head his eyes were shadowed, frown pulled into the beginnings of a snarl as he sized up the would-be robber in front of us. The tension in his body, the set of his shoulders and tilt of his head, all but emanated a deadly power.

"Do we look like we have any money?" Zoro growled. He paused for a second before replacing his katana and continuing, "We're flat broke but I'll make a deal with you. Take the woman, instead."

"Hey!" I protested angrily. The stranger looked like he was actually considering it and I reached up to smack the swordsman on the shoulder. "As if! Don't you dare try to give me away!"

Zoro tilted his head and glanced down at me in a mocking show of thought. "Oh?" he said. "You want to stay?" He grinned suddenly, showing sharp white teeth. "Will you behave?"

I sputtered for a moment, hardly believing what I was hearing. "Are you _blackmailing_ me?" I demanded indignantly. The nerve of this guy was unreal, although I admitted I had to give him credit for recognizing the advantage.

"Is that a no?" the swordsman asked lightly. "Alright." He made to move out from between me and the robber and I jumped at him, nearly frantic.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked. My fingers closed in his sleeve once again as I hid behind his arm. "Where are you going?" When Zoro ignored me and took another step away, I swallowed my pride and caved. "Fine, okay! I'll be nice!"

Zoro took his time pretending to think it over and I stopped myself from snapping at him again in irritation. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned and addressed the robber. "Sorry, pal," he shrugged. "Guess you can't have her, after all."

Zoro moved away again, this time pulling me with him, and I sighed in relief. It wasn't that I really thought he would do it, but with the robber still so close I wasn't willing to risk my only current protection getting too angry.

"What do you think you're doing?" the stranger shouted. "Get back here!" He lunged at Zoro, changed his mind mid-step, and tried to dodge around the swordsman toward me, instead.

The reaction was immediate and brutal. Zoro grabbed the man's wrist, the one still holding the dagger, and with his other hand pulled the hilt of his white katana forward with a quick jerk, ramming it forcefully into the other's midsection. Zoro let go as the robber crashed to the ground and moaned in pain.

I stood frozen beside him and tried to get my lungs to cooperate, gasping for breath as my heart jumped violently. It had happened so fast I wasn't sure if what I had seen was correct or a visual trick caused by the speed of the movements. As Zoro grumbled under his breath and continued walking away as if nothing had happened, I snapped out of my shocked state and trotted after him, leaving the robber writhing on the ground behind us.

"What was that?" I asked when I had caught up with him, staring wide-eyed at the side of his green head.

"A thief," Zoro shrugged. "Small-time trash. That's all."

"No," I shook my head, "I mean that- why did you- never mind." I tried to brush the incident from my mind but stayed a little closer to the swordsman anyway. We finally reached the bridge a few minutes later and something occurred to me. "You know," I started, "I'm not sure you had to be so rough with that guy. He was probably just hungry."

"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "But he was also willing to stab you through the neck to get money. Should I have let him?"

He had a point, I thought. "No. Thanks."

Zoro made an irritated noise in the back of his throat. "You're really a lot of work, you know that?" he groused.

"I say thanks and you get angry?" I scowled at him. "How does that make sense?" The swordsman gave me another frown and I remembered our deal and turned away, concentrating on being nice to the stubborn, violent man now wandering off in the wrong direction. Again. "This way, Zoro," I sighed, pointing ahead of us. "We're not turning yet."

"Isn't this the way we came from?" he asked as he fell in step beside me.

"No," I ground out in an attempt to keep my tone level. "It's not. This is the way to the woods."

Zoro shrugged but didn't argue any further.

The town ended abruptly and we found ourselves on a single, narrow road leading away from the grey buildings. We walked on in silence, I tucked the map back into my pocket and Zoro's hand rested across the hilts of his katana in what I thought must be a habitual move for him. There weren't many sounds outside the town except for the light chirping of birds and the crunching of the earth-packed road under our feet.

After about ten minutes we found ourselves facing a fork in the road.

"Left," I directed. "That's what the map said." I watched Zoro start forward again and had to stop myself from taking off my shoe and throwing it at him, hissing in frustration. "Your _other_ left, swordsman!"

Zoro paused and changed direction. "Be more specific," he grumbled.

"Jeez, how do you manage not to get lost on the way to the kitchen?" I frowned, moving in beside him again. He purposely turned his head away without answering and it hit me. "You have before, haven't you?" I laughed and clapped a hand over my mouth immediately. Unbelievable.

"It's not my fault Franky gave that ship such a weird design," Zoro defended. "It's confusing."

"It's a big ship," I agreed, still smiling. As annoying as he was, it still felt a little mean to tease him about something he couldn't help, so I let the subject drop for the moment.

It wasn't too much longer before we ran across a small branching trail, leading north from the road. Zoro looked at me in question and I nodded. This was it.

I let him go first, not sure what to expect, and walked behind him on full alert. I was starting to feel more than a little paranoid by the time we had reached a small wooden house at the end of the trail. Zoro halted in front of the house and put one arm out to stop me as well. He stood still, completely silent, and I wondered how he was supposed to get the attention of whoever might be inside without actually knocking.

"What do you want?" a raspy voice sounded from one of the open windows.

"I want to talk to Shogun," Zoro answered immediately.

There was a long pause, then the voice answered, "Roronoa Zoro, you may enter. The woman stays outside."

I didn't like that idea in the least, and was about to tell Zoro this when he put his hand on my shoulder and shook his head to keep me from talking.

"Just wait here," he said quietly. "I'll be right back." He turned away and walked up to the house, through the front door without a pause. It closed behind him silently.

I stood on the path and waited. And waited. After ten minutes I began looking around the trees, trying to keep my mind from thinking too much about what could be lurking in the area. I couldn't hear any voices from inside the house, no matter how hard I listened, but was unwilling to move any closer to try harder. What were they doing in there? Staring at each other?

After thirty minutes more I was thinking about calling out to Zoro when a slight movement caught my eye. It wasn't much more than a shifting of shadows in the trees to the left of me, a small rustling of underbrush. Still, I tensed immediately and stood from the rock I had been sitting on beside the path, straining my eyes to identify whatever was making the commotion.

Without warning an enormous black creature resembling a wolf stepped into view from behind a thick cluster of trees, it's yellow eyes reflecting the light and it's long teeth bared. It moved closer and I realized with a cold clarity that it's focus was on me. It sprinted forward at the same moment I turned and ran.

"_ZORO!"_

I barely recognized my own voice calling for the swordsman, it was so loud and shrill. I was now sprinting away from the small house and into the woods, panic clouding my ability to reason. I ran as hard and fast as I could through the trees, the only thought racing through my mind was to get as far away as I could from the beast behind me. I could hear it crashing through the plants as it gave chase and pushed myself even faster.

I heard a rumbling roar ahead of me but didn't even attempt to think of what it might be, which was why it came as such a surprise when I found myself facing a swift-moving river. I looked around quickly and spotted a tree laying half-way across the currents. The tree's roots were still deep in the ground and I hoped it would hold well enough as I jumped on top of it and began moving across the trunk. If I could get close enough to the other side, I though wildly, I might be able to cross the water to the other side. Glancing down at the swift currents I realized this had been a very stupid assumption, but it was too late to go back.

I heard the growling of the animal and saw it's black body slinking through the trees toward the river as I turned to look behind me. Edging out onto the thickest branch I tried to put more distance between myself and the beast. I seriously doubted it was actually a wolf; I had never seen any kind of lupine animal of that size.

The branch I was standing on broke with a sound like a gun shot and I tumbled down into the swift, freezing water below me with a startled shriek.

The currents were strong, and it took everything I had to not be pulled under completely as I was swept along the river. Icy water filled my nose and mouth, and I kicked out in wild desperation, trying to get back to the shore despite the danger lurking there. I went under, coming up a second later long enough to take in a choking breath before I was dragged down again. Not being a very strong swimmer, it didn't take long for me to begin tiring, my arms and legs screaming with the effort of keeping my head above water. The cold was numbing my muscles, and with a final kick I locked up almost completely.

A shadow detached itself from the trees and flew toward the water like a panther just before I sank into the river like a stone.


	6. Chapter 6

This one is a little longer than the others, I've been trying not to get lost in pointless detail but I don't know how well that's working out.

This chapter contains yet another OC (sorry!) but hopefully you'll forgive me. I needed another element for the story and dragged this one out from the piles of garbage littering the corners of the computer specifically for this reason. I wrote this chapter weeks ago and have been fiddling with it ever since. Still hasn't improved much. Oh well.

Enough of my rambling. Here we go.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Language

And as always, I love every review! Thanks for reading!

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><p>Arms were around me, pulling with enough force to fight off the current long enough to get my head to the surface again.<p>

Someone was behind me as I coughed and dragged in a few painful gulps of air. The water was rushing around the back of my head as I was held up by the waist and supported against what I had to guess was a thin human body. I couldn't see anything but an arm encased in black fabric, a long narrow chain held in the hand and wrapped down to the elbow. I couldn't be sure but it looked like the chain was attached to a nearby tree by something long and sharp.

"Take a breath," a low yet obviously feminine voice ordered from behind my shoulder, "and hold on."

Not having much in the way of options I did as I was instructed and found myself being dragged to the bank of the river with reassuring speed. I still went under a couple of times, but due to the strength of my rescuer managed to not drown.

When I finally reached solid ground I collapsed into a freezing, soaking and exhausted pile of limbs. My rescuer walked past me and pulled what appeared to be a large glass knife out of the tree, winding the chain before hooking it to her belt. She turned to look at me, and I was surprised to realize that we were very close to the same age. I may have even been a little older.

The girl was dressed completely in black. Black pants, black boots, long-sleeved black shirt and vest, and a couple of belts around her trim waist. She was so small, I had to wonder how she had ever managed to pull me from the river. Her hair was hanging in dripping tendrils nearly down to her hips, and although it was soaking wet, it looked like it might be black as well.

Such dark colors only made it more painfully obvious how pale her skin was, although it might have just been from the cold. Her eyes however, were a dark shade of green bordering on unearthly. I could swear they were almost glowing.

She looked me over with a slightly unnerving gaze. "Can you stand?"

I was shivering like crazy but pushed myself off the ground to my feet. I felt a little too vulnerable just sitting on the rocks. "Yeah," I said, teeth chattering. "Shit, it's cold!"

The girl bent down and picked up a large blue canvas bag and a long jacket. The jacket was also black but had a strange green sheen to it, like some kind of reptilian skin. "Let's go," she said.

"Wh- what," I hesitated on the shore, remembering the beast that had been chasing me before I fell into the river. "What about that wolf thing?"

"Don't worry about it," was the short reply before the small young woman began walking away, jacket over one arm and bag slung across her thin shoulder. "It's not here anymore."

I hovered indecisively on the spot before hurrying after her as fast as my tired limbs would allow. We walked for a few minutes and came across a tiny clearing, protected by rocks on one side and massive trees on the other.

The girl set her belongings on the ground and opened the bag to pull a spare shirt from inside. She walked over to where I stood and yanked my drenched sweater over my head with alarming speed, I hadn't even had time to protest. She handed the shirt to me and turned away again, prowling around the small area and returning with an armful of dry branches.

I pulled on the offered clothing and sat heavily on the ground as my aching legs finally had enough of standing, watching her make a fire so quickly I began to wonder if it wasn't a bit unnatural. In no more than a minute or two the flames were nearly up to the girl's elbow, and the warmth radiating from them was heavenly.

She removed her belts without a word and, to my astonishment and horror, walked _right into the fire._

"What are you doing?" I shouted, jumping to my feet. Was she completely insane?

She looked at me in confusion, the fire licking up her small frame and drying her hair and clothing, before seeming to remember something and laughing. "Oh," she said, still chuckling. "Sorry about that. I suppose I should have warned you first. I forgot that this looks strange to most people. Don't worry," she added when I took a step forward. "Fire can't hurt me."

Indeed, she didn't seem to be in any kind of pain, or even discomfort. I stood by, flabbergasted, as she stepped out of the fire and shook her arms to rid her shirt of the grey soot clinging to it. Apparently it couldn't hurt her clothing, either.

"Sorry," she said again. "I didn't mean to scare you."

I stared at her for a long time. "How are you still alive?" I demanded, feeling annoyed for being so far out of my element. Not to mention incredibly tired.

She chuckled again. "I should introduce myself," she mused out loud, before nodding at me. "Modokai 'Dragon Tooth' Syla. Or just Syla, if you prefer."

"Dragon what?" I really wanted to sit back down again, but forced my legs to cooperate for a little longer.

Syla smiled patiently. She walked over to her belts and picked them up, pulling one of the two long knives from it resting place in the black sheath. The thin silver-white chain was connected to the handle, winding down to the belt. It was a lot longer than I had thought at first.

"This," Syla explained, holding the weapon out in front of her, "is called a Dragon Tooth blade. Of course its not really made from a dragon's tooth," she smirked. "That would be ridiculous."

Right, I thought dryly, because nothing so far had been ridiculous at all. I studied the semi-transparent knife and frowned. "Does that thing hold up very well?" I asked. "I mean, I can't picture glass lasting too long against steel, for instance."

"Not glass," Syla corrected. "Diamond."

I blinked. What?

Seeing my confounded expression, she replaced the blade and dug around in the bag again. "Those blades are centuries old," she said. "Passed down from one clan leader to the next. I've had them for awhile now." She reemerged with a rolled-up blanket. "Take your pants off and cover up, before you come down with fever."

I looked at her with a sudden suspicion. "Why are you being so nice?" I asked. It did seem kind of weird, now that I had time to think about it. This girl was a complete stranger and yet she had pulled me from the river, built a fire and told me her name, and was now making sure I didn't catch a cold or something similar. It was all very strange.

She sighed and tossed the blanket to me. "Because you were drowning, and I thought I ought to do something about it."

It wasn't a very satisfying answer. "Why?" I asked.

Syla glanced over at me and gave a light snort. "Relax," she said. "I'm not an enemy. Now, dry off. I'll take you back to wherever you've wandered in from."

I gave her another cautious study before coming to the conclusion that she was probably right about getting sick. I quickly stripped from my soaked pants and pulled my shoes and socks off, wrapping myself in the thick blanket. When I was finished I moved a little closer to the heat source and lowered myself to the ground.

Syla was sitting on a large flat rock beside the fire, her feet inside the flames as she hummed quietly to herself. The image was bizarre, and brought up another very important question.

"So why the hell are you fire-proof, anyway?" I hadn't intended to sound quite so rude, but the stress of the day was starting to catch up to me.

"I am Dragonkinde," she said simply, going right back to humming the exotic melody.

"And that means what?" I prompted.

"She's a dragon."

I whipped around as my swordsman strode into the clearing. He was looking more intimidating than usual, owing mostly to the dark bandana around his forehead. "Zoro," I acknowledged in surprise. I frowned almost immediately. Did I really just think the words 'my swordsman'? I must have been more tired than I had thought.

Zoro gave me a quick once-over and, apparently satisfied that I wasn't hurt, he turned back to Syla. "An obnoxious, fire-breathing pain in the ass," he finished.

"I do not breath fire, pirate hunter," Syla answered evenly, then tilted her head. "Or is it just 'pirate' now?"

Zoro ignored the question. "I thought you were dead," he frowned. "What're you doin' on the Grand Line?"

"I could ask you the same," the small girl smiled at him. "But I know you wouldn't tell me anyway."

"You're right," Zoro agreed.

I watched the exchange curiously, feeling a lot safer with the green-haired man in my sight again. "You two know each other?" I had already guessed that, as the tension in the air was very nearly palpable. It was almost amusing how someone could get under Zoro's skin to such a level, but it did bring up the question of how this girl had managed it.

"In a manner of speaking, I suppose," Syla shrugged and stood up, pulling her feet from the fire and dusting bits of ash from her pants. "It's been awhile, Zoro. You've certainly changed. Still chasing Mihawk?"

"You haven't," Zoro had moved closer to me, his eye still fixed on the girl. "Still chasing the past?" His tone was hard, unforgiving.

"Ah, well," Syla shrugged again. "You know what they say. Old habits die hard, and all that." Her eerie green eyes moved from me to the swordsman. "Speaking of…On second thought, perhaps you haven't changed so much after all."

I didn't miss the hidden implication, even if I didn't understand the meaning behind it. I looked up at Zoro. "What's that about?" I asked.

"It's nothing," he answered without turning. "Forget it."

Syla's dark eyebrows rose up in surprise. "I don't know why you insist on acting the way you do," she said. "It's incredibly transparent, you know."

"Renna, get your stuff," Zoro ordered unexpectedly. "We're leaving. Now."

"But…" I looked down at the blanket and borrowed shirt.

"Keep them," Syla waved a hand and smiled. "I have others." She appeared to be completely unfazed by Zoro's shadowy mood. I was a little impressed.

I picked up my wad of wet clothing just as Zoro stepped back and hauled me up onto one arm, practically sprinting from the clearing. I heard the faint call of 'Try not to be so careless, Zoro' before we were too far into the trees to hear anything else.

"Whoa! Hey!" I clung on to his shoulder to stop myself from bouncing around too much. "What's the matter with you?" When his pace didn't change I tried again. "Slow down, dammit! I'm going to fall!"

Zoro slowed to a walk, keeping me on his left arm since I was still bare-foot from my dip in the river. Not to mention not wearing any pants, a fact that I was now more uncomfortably aware of than before.

"That woman," he growled. "Damned, meddling, obnoxious-" He went on for awhile, and I didn't interrupt his rant.

"I thought she was nice," I told him when he had settled down.

Zoro tilted his head toward me, although it was hard to read his expression from my current angle. "Stay away from her," he said. "I don't trust her."

"How do you know her?" I asked. "And what was that she said about you not changing?" I was too relieved that he had come to get me to be very annoyed with him, at the moment. Although how he had actually found us with his dismal sense of direction was probably a mystery that wouldn't be solved anytime soon.

Zoro had located the path, or accidentally stumbled onto it, more likely, and was now walking east toward the town. "It was before I met Luffy," he answered after a moment. "I saved her life. Or thought I did, anyway. Turns out she wasn't really in any danger to begin with. I didn't know she was Dragonkinde, at the time."

"Okay," I said, resisting the urge to rub my eyes in confusion as my brain twirled around in my head. "Explain. What the hell does that mean? Why did you call her a dragon?"

"The Dragonkinde were a race of people actually _descended_ from dragons. Not sure how that works, honestly. They were a hidden clan from the East Blue but originated here, on the Grand Line."

"Were?" I repeated. That sounded a little ominous.

"Modokai is the last," Zoro confirmed. "The whole clan was wiped out, several decades back, and she's been looking for the ones responsible ever since."

"Oh," I answered. "That's really…Wait. Decades? She can't be that old, can she?"

"Dragons don't age like we do," Zoro said simply, as if it made perfect sense. "She's been on the seas for longer than you and I have been alive."

I took a moment to roll that around but stopped before I gave myself a headache. "What did she mean," I started again, "about being careless?"

Zoro didn't answer right away. Finally he said, "She thinks I act like a human shield or something."

"Well, I can see her point," I nodded. "Eep!" I squeaked when Zoro bounced me on his arm intentionally to shut me up. It didn't work. "What? You don't think so? It isn't always a bad thing."

"Can we not talk about this?" he grumbled.

"Alright," I gave in on the subject, but started a new one within the next second. "So," I began slowly, speaking on a strong hunch and judging by their reaction to each other in the clearing, "how long were you two together, anyway?"

Zoro's step hitched slightly and I knew I had found something interesting. His mouth tightened at the corners as he regained his footing.

"Well?" I prompted when he stayed quiet for several seconds.

"Not long," he said. "Not after…it doesn't matter."

"That's kind of gross, isn't it?" I thought out loud. "Considering the age difference and all."

"Depends on how you look at it, I guess," Zoro shrugged.

"How old were you?"

Zoro made an irritated sound. "What does it matter?" he asked. "It's the past."

I sighed. "Why don't you trust her?" I asked after a short pause. I couldn't help my curiosity. This was definitely a side of the swordsman I hadn't seen before. Hadn't even considered it, actually.

"She's unpredictable," Zoro growled. "She was calm today, but she definitely has the attitude of a dragon." He stopped talking for so long I thought he was finished. "I watched her take down three full galleons in the East Blue. By herself. Turns out they weren't the ones she had been looking for. It was disturbing, how she didn't even seem to care."

I was quiet for awhile after this, thinking hard. For as much as I had seen of him I knew for a fact the swordsman wasn't exactly a saint, but neither was he really a monster. He fought back when being attacked and to protect his crew. His goal to be the best swordsman was only to prove that he could, and not to wreak havoc on the world's inhabitants. To purposely initiate that kind of slaughter…I understood now why he had been so anxious to get me away from Syla. "I see," I answered eventually.

The sea-side settlement came into view and I spent the next ten minutes directing Zoro through the town as best I could. Nami's map had still been in my pocket when I fell into the river, so I doubted it would be of much use anymore. After a few wrong turns we finally got the hang of our make-shift teamwork and I was beginning to relax a little as the familiar sight of the Thousand Sunny came into view, it's jolly roger flying proudly in the breeze. After the events of the afternoon it was a welcoming sight.

Soon we had reached the edge of the small port town and Zoro walked along the docks toward the towering figure of the Sunny. "Listen," he said as we approached the Straw Hat crew's ship. "No one knows about Syla…"

"Got it," I nodded. "Not a word." It didn't feel right, hiding information of a possibly dangerous woman from the others, but Zoro was obviously very uncomfortable about the whole thing. If I wanted to keep myself in his good graces and hold up my end of our agreement, I knew I would have to keep mum in the bargain.

We reached the Sunny and Zoro jumped high into the air, grabbing the ropes on the side of the ship and hauling us both over and onto the deck. He set me down and pulled the bandana from his head. "Why are you all wet, anyway?" he asked.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "You didn't just notice that right now, did you?"

"I noticed immediately," he said. "Thought the harpy had tried to drown you, at first."

I remembered the scary expression on his face when he had burst into the clearing and shook my head. "Something was chasing me," I explained. "I fell into the river, but she pulled me out."

"That's why you don't wander off," Zoro frowned down at me. "Stay close next time."

"I didn't wander off," I protested angrily. "I _ran_ off. Didn't really have much choice, you know. Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"I heard," Zoro's frown intensified. "But by the time I got outside, you were gone."

"So where did you go?" I asked, trying to ignore how cold it was without the swordsman's body heat to keep the chill away. My wet clothing felt like it had been sitting ice water and my hair wasn't much better. "Why did it take you so long? Did you get lost?"

"I got side-tracked," the swordsman answered while studying me with a critical eye. "I'll tell you later."

"Why is it always 'later'?" I grumbled, feeling more than a little fatigued. My entire body shivered convulsively and Zoro grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward the cabin without another word. I let him lead me up to Chopper's examining room, although I already knew the way. I was too busy still mulling over the fact that the surly swordsman had an old flame. Literally, it seemed. It was kind of funny.

Zoro handed me over to the doctor, who yelped in concern at my disheveled appearance, and left again immediately.

Apparently he was not as amused about it as I was.


	7. Chapter 7

Ha, finally getting to a point in the story. Sort of.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Warning: Mild Language.

Enjoy!

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><p>By evening the rest of the crew had returned and Chopper, who had bundled me in a spare robe and slippers, made me stay in the medical room while he went down to the kitchen to get some food. I didn't complain too much about this plan. The running for my life and nearly drowning episodes were taking a heavy toll on me, and I was asleep on the examining bed before the doctor returned.<p>

I had no idea how long I slept, but when I woke again I was alone. Sliding off the bed I made my way out into the hall and started down to the kitchen, yawning widely. Half-way there I was waylaid by a broad, green mass pulling me unexpectedly through another doorway.

"Hey," I complained. "Not so hard. I still need that arm, you know." I didn't even think about the fact that I wasn't actually surprised anymore by the swordsman's odd behavior.

Zoro closed the door and the small room, which looked a bit like some kind of closet, was thrown into darkness. "Listen," he said quietly. "I need to tell you something before you go down there to the others."

I stopped rubbing my arm and looked up to where I knew his face would be. He now had my full attention. "What is it?"

"It's about what Shogun said," he started immediately. "Apparently you're a little more well-known on the Grand Line than we had thought."

I stood still in the dark for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant by that. "Is…is that even possible?" I asked finally. "I mean, only you guys have ever seen me, so…"

"It doesn't make much sense," Zoro agreed. "But I would bet one of the crew let it slip about you at a port somewhere. Something like what you can do, I wouldn't really expect it to stay a secret for long."

"Like what I can do?" I repeated. What was he talking about?

Again, he got right to the point. "You're a Seer, aren't you? I guess the word got out somewhere along the way, making you a rather popular commodity and at the same time an enemy, according to Shogun. That's why he wouldn't let you in earlier. They're afraid of you."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" I shrieked, ignoring Zoro's furious shushing noises as I continued, "Why the hell would anyone be afraid of _me_? Are they nuts?" I was about as scary as a day-old kitten, and I knew it.

"Stop yelling!" Zoro hissed, finally resorting to putting a hand over my mouth to shut me up. "Jeez, what's the matter with you?"

I yanked his hand away and spat out, "What do you mean, what's the matter with me? This is bad, Zoro. This is _really_ bad."

I was fully aware of the impact of having people from this world fear me; it would put me at risk, as the most popular way of dealing with a threat was to eliminate it. Immediately.

Zoro sighed, whether in exasperation or defeat I wasn't sure, and continued his explanation. "It's also why Syla is here, you know. She has certain…senses I guess, that let her be drawn to whatever might work best to her advantage. It's how she's survived for so long on her own. She knew 'the Seer' would be in the area at some time, and she's been staying here for awhile."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" I snapped at him, careful not to raise my volume again. "How could she possibly know that when I don't even know why I'm here to begin with?" Although, I thought, this information had probably been why the swordsman hadn't looked at all surprised to see her earlier.

"I already told you, Syla has more senses than normal humans," Zoro was beginning to sound frustrated. "She knew you by name, too. I'd bet she's the one who told Shogun who you are. Seems to be a connection there somewhere."

I was about to ask what the dragon girl could possibly need a Seer for if she possessed such abilities but stopped short when something else he had said hit home. "Here?" I asked. "We haven't left the island yet, have we?"

"The log pose isn't set," Zoro confirmed. "We're still docked, which means she could come back for you at any time."

"Then why wouldn't she have just taken me earlier?" I challenged, unwilling to believe what I was hearing. "I was already at her camp when you showed up, and she didn't seem all that worried that I was leaving with you, either." I was beginning to hope he was just making up a story to scare me, maybe to get back at me for yelling at him so much. The theory didn't fit anything in his personality however, and I was starting to feel a little panicky by the time he spoke again.

"The pose won't set for another couple of days, according to Nami," Zoro explained. "Syla's got time."

"Gah!" I snarled in fear and frustration. "What the hell am I supposed to do? Why does she even want a Seer?"

"She thinks she might be able to find the people she's been looking for, would be my assumption," Zoro said in a terse tone. I could hear a question in the statement and sighed heavily.

"I couldn't tell her that, anyway," I said. "I've never 'seen' this far, I didn't even know she existed before today." I almost wanted to cry. How had this happened?

"I doubt Syla will believe that, even if it's true," Zoro stated in the same irritated rumble. "For now, you'll just have to stay inside the ship with someone at all times until we leave."

I wasn't about to argue with that idea in the least. The last thing I wanted was some delusional, diamond-wielding girl with homicidal tendencies tracking me down for something I couldn't even do. I wanted to explain this to the swordsman, that I was not a psychic of any kind and couldn't be if I wanted to, but that would have me explaining about the show and I knew he wouldn't believe me anyway. Instead, I sighed again and leaned against the closed door. "So, why are we in a closet?" I asked. "Is this also something the crew isn't supposed to know?"

"I haven't told them yet," Zoro admitted. "I gave the rest of Shogun's message to Nami, but didn't say anything about Syla. Or you."

"Why not?" That was a strange thing to do, especially for this guy. "If I stay on the Sunny, don't you think she might come after the rest of them as well?"

"She would have to be completely insane to do something like that," Zoro growled. "I'm not really worried about them."

I didn't miss the implication this time and felt my eyebrows rise up in surprise. He was worried about me? That was even weirder. "Why do you care, anyway?" I asked.

Zoro made another grumbling sound. "The last time you were here, Luffy put me in charge of your safety."

"That was two years ago-"

"And nothing has changed," he cut in sharply. "I'm still under orders, got it?"

I huffed in irritation. "Don't have a say in it, do you?" I muttered. "No wonder you're so cranky. Still," I continued before he could jump in, "you should probably tell them anyway. They'll want to know."

"I know," Zoro answered simply.

I had been bracing myself for another argument and was thrown off momentarily. "What? Then what's with all this sneaking around?" I asked, very annoyed.

"I'm not sneaking," he protested. "I just wanted to let you know first so you don't faint or something later."

So, he hadn't been intentionally keeping this information from the rest of the crew, he was just waiting for me to wake up and giving me a chance to pull myself together before any plans were made. For some reason that made me feel a little better in an odd way, despite his usual harsh tone.

"Alright," I agreed. "I won't faint. I promise."

Zoro reached behind me and moved me away from the door, opening it and stepping out into the hall again. "Good," he said shortly. He walked off in the direction of the kitchen and I followed, still trying not to panic about this newest development. I wasn't having much success.

* * *

><p>Only Sanji was in the kitchen when we arrived and I stood to the side as he greeted Zoro with the usual insults and a swift kick toward the head, which Zoro dodged with a much practiced move. The swordsman retaliated with another stream of colorful insults, still managing to ask where the rest of the crew were between bad-mouthing Sanji's appearance and implying that the cook did inappropriate things with broomsticks and sea shells. I never caught the point of the jab, having zoned out half-way through it.<p>

It took another few minutes to get an answer out of Sanji after that and I joined in yelling at Zoro, my patience worn incredibly thin from the recent events. We eventually found out the crew were currently lounging in the aquarium room, all besides the three of us and Franky, who was on watch, and Zoro and I ambled down in that direction instead.

Nami and Robin were seated at the small table beside the wide, round support, talking easily with Luffy, Ussop, Brook and Chopper. The guys were sitting along the cushioned bench beside the thick glass of the tank and watching as Brook dug around in a long black violin case.

They all looked up at the same time as we walked in and Nami smiled in relief.

"Hey," she greeted. "Glad to see you're okay. Zoro said you fell in the river earlier."

"Yeah," I agreed. I left the swordsman by the door and went to sit on the bench beside Luffy. "Just went for a little swim, is all."

Apparently my tone was much sharper than intended because both women shot me a considering once-over before turning their attention to Zoro as Nami spoke again.

"By the way Zoro," she started in a dangerous manner. "What exactly were you doing during all of this?"

"I was doing what Luffy asked me to do," Zoro answered as he pulled a spare chair up opposite the bench, a few feet from the table. Chopper immediately hopped up from his seat and settled down in front of Zoro's boots to lean back against the swordsman's legs contentedly. Zoro hardly seemed to notice.

"Oh yeah," Luffy sat up a little straighter. "What'd the old guy say?"

"He said the island after this one will have what we need for the next step," Zoro shrugged, his arms folded behind his head as he lounged in the chair. "And that Renna's being hunted because she's a Seer and Modokai Syla is on this island right now." He might as well have been relaying the items on a shopping list, for all his lack of emotion. Then again, that wasn't very uncommon for him.

A loud ruckus unavoidably followed the report.

"_What_?"

"Who's hunting Renna?"

"_The_ Modokai Syla?"

"Dammit, Zoro! Did you know about this all day?"

"Does this have anything to do with the river incident? What happened?"

"How does anyone know about her being a Seer, anyway?"

Zoro just glared at them all until they had settled down again, not moving an inch from his current position. Chopper was still attached to his leg when he began to answer them one by one and in order. "I meant exactly what I said; I have no idea apart from yes, the same Modokai Syla; I've only known since this afternoon; yes but you'll have to ask the girl; and again I have no idea."

I recovered quickly from the rapid-fire answers and frowned at him from the bench. "It took you an hour to get all that?" I asked. It seemed kind of extreme for the vague report, but Zoro had been inside that house for a lot longer than it would have taken to pass on such a small amount of information.

Zoro turned his eye on me. "I already told you, I got side-tracked."

"You also said you would explain," I reminded him.

Zoro glared again but sat forward grudgingly. "It wasn't actually a house," he said. "It was the entrance to an underground dojo. Shogun insisted I spar with him before he would answer anything, and when I refused to hand you over it turned into an actual fight. So like I said," he waved one hand carelessly. "Side-tracked."

I didn't really have any kind of reply for that but was saved having to give one by Robin, who leaned on the table and studied Zoro for a moment before asking, "Did you actually see Modokai Syla? Are you sure it's her?"

I looked away, pretending to be interested in the small fish swimming around in the tank as Zoro growled something like, "Yeah, kind of."

"What do you mean, kind of," Nami demanded angrily. "Either you saw her or you didn't. Which is it?"

"It was her," I spoke up. Nami, Robin and Ussop turned their eyes on me instead and I added, "She told me her name."

"Wait a minute," the sniper frowned thoughtfully. "How did you see her, Renna? She wasn't in the dojo, was she?"

"No," I shook my head at him from the other side of Luffy, who had apparently gone to sleep in the middle of the conversation after hearing what he had been waiting for. "I wasn't allowed inside, actually." I shot a glance to Zoro, who gazed back steadily, before continuing, "But she's the one who pulled me from the river."

"And what would you have been doing in the river?" Brook asked politely. "You didn't lose your panties, I hope. Perhaps I should check?"

Nami hissed at him in warning and the skeleton quickly shut his mouth. I ignored him with some difficulty, turning to Robin instead. "Actually, I had been waiting outside for Zoro but some kind of giant animal came out of nowhere and chased me to the river."

"A giant animal?" Ussop repeated, looking worried.

"Yeah," I nodded. "It was all black with yellow eyes, and kind of resembled a wolf or something similar."

Zoro tensed visibly and I looked at him in confusion. He was glaring as usual, green eye slightly narrowed, but it was almost freaky how well I could read the expression he was directing at me: _Why the hell didn't you tell me that before?_

I pulled my mouth tight and tilted my head at him, giving the silent reply: _You didn't ask me before, did you? What's wrong?_

Zoro scrunched his brow as his frown deepened:_ You should have said something earlier. It could have been worse than I thought._

"Okay, enough with the looks," Nami sighed suddenly. "It's creeping me out. What's going on?" She frowned pointedly at the swordsman.

"That wasn't a wolf," Zoro said.

"I guessed as much," I replied impatiently, still shooting him a stern frown. "What was it, then?"

"It was Syla." The swordsman answered. "A form of her, anyway. Not her actual body, more like a disposable scout." Both his glare and tone had taken on a dangerous edge and I automatically scooted a little closer to the snoring captain, stamping down the urge to question the absurdity of what he had just said.

"How do you know that?" Nami asked curiously. "Is she a pirate? Did you hunt her at one point?"

"Something like that," Zoro agreed, tensing again. He wasn't looking at anyone anymore, tugging absentmindedly on Chopper's ear and staring off toward the far side of the aquarium room.

I was struck with the sudden impulse to giggle at him, although I was still slightly terrified of the subject of our discussion, but knew it wasn't the time to do such a thing. Especially not with Zoro looking like he was ready to cut down the first person who annoyed him at the moment.

The tension was broken by the sound of a light chime and I watched Robin open the door to the dumbwaiter and pull a tray of drinks and snacks from inside, sliding it carefully onto the table. Ussop and Chopper got up to distribute the glasses to the people not sitting at the table and the doctor had to shove Zoro's into his hand to get him to notice it at all.

I realized Zoro probably wasn't just being absent-minded; more than likely he was stretching his senses far beyond the aquarium, feeling out any other presences besides our own. The others knew his habits better than myself and agreed as one to let him be, prodded along by a knowing glance from Ussop.

I nodded to the sniper and accepted the glass and small plate of rice cake before turning to Nami and Robin. "He said Syla's probably trying to get me to help her," I explained, attempting to keep my voice level. "But it's starting to sound a lot more like kidnapping, at this point." To distract myself I bit into the cake, chewing slowly. It was a pretty good distraction, actually.

Robin nodded her head a fraction as she started on her own snack. "You're saying she might try to take you from the ship," she said. It wasn't a question.

"No one's taking you anywhere," Luffy muttered from under his straw hat. "I've already decided."

I jumped a little and turned my head toward him, having thought he was asleep for the last part of the conversation. "Thanks, Luffy," I said gratefully.

The captain lifted one hand and raised the brim of his hat to grin at me. "Don't worry about it," he said. "'Kay?" He let the hat go and settled back on the bench again, legs stretched out in front of him. "Besides, Zoro will be watching you anyway."

The aforementioned monster gave a low grumble but didn't protest any more than that, having already been aware of this arrangement. He had closed his eye and was breathing steadily, still ignoring most of what was going on around him. It occurred to me that Zoro had still left out quite a bit of information, including his theory on how my name and 'abilities', as ridiculous as that sounded, came to be known in this world. I had to guess he was still mulling it over himself before accusing anyone of the slip-up.

I leaned back next to Luffy and finally started paying attention to the drink in my hand. It was a kind of fruit juice mix which tasted faintly of berries and reminded me strongly of summer picnics. I dutifully pretended not to notice the rubbery fingers as they snatched the rest of the cake from my plate a moment later.

A few minutes into the lull Brook apparently decided the atmosphere had calmed enough for him to begin playing a couple of songs on the violin in his hands. The tunes were soothing, the chatter in the room shifting toward more general and friendly topics such as Robin's flower garden and Chopper's list of candy he wanted to learn how to make. It was obvious to me that the crew wasn't particularly worried about what might be happening outside the cabin and I supposed it had a lot to do with the cyborg being on watch.

After I had finished my drink and Nami took my empty glass and plate I curled up on the cushioned bench to get more comfortable, only realizing I had fallen asleep listening to the music when I felt myself being carried through the ship by two large, furry arms.

I settled further into Chopper's hold and allowed my subconscious mind to drift away from the frightening events slowly unfolding around me.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm going to apologize right now for the filler feel of this chapter. It got a little more detailed than I was actually going for by the time I was done with it. On a different note, a little more of the other crew members here.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Brief Language

* * *

><p>I woke up on the examining table again, curled in a blanket with a soft pillow under my head. Pulling the robe to its original state and retying it, I sat up to look around Chopper's medical room. I let out a startled yelp when I saw the swordsman sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, next to the door leading into the long, narrow hallway. He looked like he was asleep, but I knew better than to assume this was the case.<p>

"What are you doing?" I demanded, tugging the robe even tighter.

Zoro grumbled something and shifted into a more comfortable position.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Syla's scout was spotted on the shore during the night," the swordsman mumbled. "So Ussop, Sanji and Luffy went on watch with Franky and I came in here in case anything got past them. Unlikely, but Luffy can be pretty unreasonable sometimes."

"What about the girls?" I said, trying to untangle my legs from the blanket. "Why not ask one of them to stay in here, instead?"

"They were already asleep," Zoro answered. He still hadn't opened his eye, knees drawn up and one arm around his three katana. "The shit cook wouldn't let anyone wake them up, so it was either him, me or Brook. Just be grateful Luffy already put me up to watching you, or you would've ended up with one of the perverts."

I couldn't deny the truth of what he said, but still didn't like the idea of someone watching me sleep. It was just as creepy as the first time. "Where's Chopper?" I asked, noting the doctor was absent from his own room.

Zoro shrugged as he finally opened his eye and sighed, apparently having given up on trying to sleep through my interrogation. "Just went down to the kitchen a few minutes ago. He was here all night too, if you were wondering."

I scowled and swung my legs off the bed, looking around for the slippers I had been wearing the night before and mentally cursing Sanji as I did so. I would have felt a lot better about a guard if it had been Nami or Robin. Still, given the options Zoro had mentioned I was glad it had been the swordsman and not the cook or, I shuddered, the skeleton. Imagine waking up to _that _face first thing in the morning. Zoro's permanent glower was bad enough.

I eventually located the slippers and put them on, looking up to see Zoro watching me with a thoughtful frown. "What?"

"You're not gonna wear that thing the whole time, are you?" he asked.

I snorted lightly and turned away, untangling my hair as best I could. "This from the guy who walks around in _his_ bathrobe."

"It's a yukata," Zoro snapped. "Not- never mind. Do what you want." He looked away with a scowl.

I had to try not to laugh at him, but it was kind of funny. Maybe his time with Mihawk and Perona had given him some sense of fashion, as I couldn't imagine the old Zoro even _noticing_ what anyone else was wearing. Still, I thought, he had a point. Walking around in Chopper's spare robe probably wouldn't keep me warm for very long.

I looked around for my own clothing but couldn't see them anywhere. Giving up, I headed for the door instead, unsurprised when Zoro got to his feet to follow me.

I made it all the way down to the kitchen without taking a wrong turn. Zoro was right about the ship's odd design, although I would rather cut off a finger than tell him that. Sanji was standing at the counter, chopping something on a board and humming to himself. Chopper and Nami were sitting at the table and Robin was seated at the long bar, a cup of coffee in one hand and small book in the other.

Sanji looked up first, smiled, then immediately stopped humming as the swordsman stepped in behind me and closed the kitchen door. I made my way to the table as the two men wasted no time in starting their early morning barrage of insults against each other.

"Hey Chopper," I said as I took a seat beside the small reindeer. "Do you know where my clothes wandered off to? I can't find them."

"Oh yeah," Chopper nodded. "Nami threw them away."

"What?" I squawked and turned wide eyes on the navigator. "Why?"

"They're too obvious," Nami said. She appeared to be completely unabashed about tossing out my sweater and jeans. "Its best if you don't stand out. At least for now, anyway. I'm going back to the town in about an hour, I'll pick something out for you while I'm there, alright?"

I grumbled a little but knew better than to argue with her. She was right, too. Even if I had to stay inside the ship most of the time, I still didn't want to look too much like an outsider. And I still had no idea what the difference in our clothing actually was. Cloth? Design? Whatever it was, Nami was obviously worried about it so I would let the destruction of my sweater slide for now. It wasn't as good as the panda one, anyway. I smiled at the thought and Nami and Chopper gave me funny looks.

"What is it?" Nami asked.

"Nothing," I said, still grinning at the memory.

She didn't say anything else as Zoro joined us at the table, still looking like a thundercloud, and Sanji began handing out toast and small bowls of sliced fruit with side dishes of cream. It was a simple breakfast, but still really good.

When we were finished, Nami stood up and called for Chopper to come with her as she left the kitchen, presumably heading for the small town. Not long after they had gone Ussop and Brook came in for breakfast next and Robin left to join Luffy and Franky on watch. Their dedication to my safety didn't slip my notice at all.

"Such a lovely and healthy meal to meet my weary eyes," Brook sighed dramatically. "Although, I have no eyes to meet it with! Yohohoho!"

"Can it Bone Bag," Sanji warned. He set food down in front of the two with a loud thump and placed a cup of fresh coffee in front of me with more care. "You're disturbing Renna."

"It's alright, Sanji," I assured the annoyed cook. "I don't mind."

"Ah, such a fair and kind-hearted lady you are, Miss Renna," the skeleton sighed. "As such, you remind me of another beauty from my younger days…"

My attention was turned to the musician as he began telling me about the similarities between myself and a girl he had once known back in his home kingdom. Luckily he only asked to see my panties once and was promptly shut up by two simultaneous death glares from Sanji and Ussop.

Zoro had already fallen asleep again.

* * *

><p>Nami returned within the hour carrying several shopping bags and grinning in satisfaction. She immediately pulled me up to the bath and handed over several long bits of cloth, gesturing for me to put them on.<p>

And so I ended up wearing a cream colored dress, made of some kind of wool and with a skirt that stopped mid-calf. The top was sleeveless but this was easily remedied by a dark blue buttoned cardigan or something like it. Nami buckled a wide brown belt around my waist and slipped knee-high boots of the same brown material on my feet. She stepped back to admire her handy work and smiled.

"You look nice," she complimented. "And much more like you could be a random traveler, too."

I looked more like a Western pioneer than anything actually, but kept the thought to myself. "What's with this fabric?" I asked, running my hands down the thick skirt.

"It's still a little cold out," Nami explained. "But I've picked up a few other outfits for you, in case the weather changes. Also some nightgowns and shoes."

I looked at her and felt my eyes narrow, suddenly a little suspicious about her shopping spree. "How did you pay for all of this?" I asked as levelly as I could manage.

Nami gave a light snort at my obvious tone and moved behind me to fasten my hair into a loose bun. "Sanji," she said simply. "He gave me some of his treasure beri to buy your clothes. I didn't really get _exactly_ what he asked for, it isn't warm enough for that, but still, I did okay with it, right?"

"Right," I smiled at her in the mirror and made a mental note to thank the cook at the first opportunity. I realized the effort was more from his perverted side than the chivalrous one, and was glad Nami had been the one to do the shopping, but I was grateful all the same.

* * *

><p>We arrived back in the kitchen just in time for the navigator to stop a fight between Zoro and Sanji, <em>again<em>, and order the swordsman out onto the deck, since it was his turn to take over Luffy's watch. Ussop and Brook were also gone.

Zoro stomped toward the door in a huff and Sanji hurled a bag of apples at him, aiming at his head I supposed but also with the intention that they didn't go hungry, before the door closed behind him.

I sat at the high counter with Nami and listened to her chattering on about all the strange items in the shops in town. It was even more remarkable, she said, due to the distance of this island from any main trading port and the isolation caused by the volcanic activity. I listened as best I could while Sanji set chilled lemon cake and cups of green tea in front of us before starting on the roast he was making for lunch.

My mind drifted in and out of the conversation as the navigator continued to explain about the recent shifts in the currents on the seas surrounding us, and what that could presumably mean for the crew's journey. I found myself wandering down a track that took me completely by surprise; as dangerous as this world was, and I could attest to at least part of the threat personally, I really wasn't looking forward to going home again. Not like the last time.

Lifting one hand I scrubbed furiously at my forehead. I was getting seriously attached to these people, which was really, _really_ not a good thing.

"What's the matter?" Nami asked suddenly. Apparently she had seen my frustrated look and was now frowning at me as though I had done something particularly absurd.

"Nothing," I forced a small smile. "I'm fine."

I was saved from any further explanation by the impeccable timing of Luffy, who barreled into the kitchen and demanded to be fed as if he hadn't eaten anything in a week. Distracted by the noise, the navigator promptly forgot about me and rounded on the rubbery captain instead. She shouted at him to not be 'so damn loud', which came off as a little hypocritical although I valued my skin too much to actually say this, and pushed him down on the seat next to her as Sanji patently began to make sandwiches.

Luffy, I thought as I watched him scarf down the small meal in two seconds flat, was actually the one I would miss the most. I had no idea why, though. It might have had something to do with the fact that I had never met anyone like him before, which was probably a good thing for my world but a little sad all the same. That kind of energy was impossible to ignore.

The captain had Nami thoroughly bated into an argument in under ten seconds. I smirked and picked up a few of the empty dishes around me, carrying them to the sink where Sanji had begun the washing from making Luffy's sandwiches. He had gone back to humming, sleeves rolled to his elbows and hands in the hot water.

"Thanks, Sanji," I said quietly, laying the bowls next to the sink. "For the clothes, I mean."

Sanji turned his head to grin at me cheekily. "It's no trouble at all, Renna dear," he said quite happily. "I am always honored to lend any assistance to a lady, especially one as charming as yourself."

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes at him just in time and settled for returning the grin. "Do you want any help?" I offered. "Sounds like I'll be stuck inside for awhile anyway."

"I wouldn't dream of setting such tasks to your beautiful hands," the cook looked appalled at the thought. "However, if you're bored maybe Robin could find some books for you when she returns, or Brook could play some music?" he suggested.

"Nah," I shook my head. "I wont bother them. But thanks." I left the sink to go back to the bar stool, resigning myself to sit in the kitchen with Nami, Luffy and Sanji. At least for the rest of the morning.

* * *

><p>Luffy, unsurprisingly, was quite entertaining and had managed to rope both me and Nami into several different card games by the time Franky came into the kitchen and Nami left to fill in his spot on watch. Sanji had me drinking more tea than I ever had before in my entire lifetime and Franky jumped up at random intervals in the conversation to do his 'Super' dance, mostly for his own benefit but partially for mine.<p>

Lunch came and went, the only crewmembers not joining us being the two swordsmen still stationed at either end of the Sunny. Robin brought their lunches to them and stayed out on the deck with her book from earlier. Eventually Franky and Ussop went down to the lower deck to tinker with something or other, Nami left to the library to chart her maps and Chopper and Luffy had been out the door as soon as the meal was over. Playing tag or something is what they had said.

This had left me alone with Sanji and, although he was good company when he wasn't doting or over-complimenting every few seconds, I was starting to grow increasingly nervous and restless from all the bustle on the ship. Knowing I was the cause of it didn't help any, either.

The one time I tried to poke my head out the kitchen door to see what was going on out on the deck, I came face-to-face with a very agitated green-haired swordsman and quickly closed the door again. It was just my luck to make the attempt at the same moment he passed by.

"Do you have a death wish or something!" Zoro yelled at me through the wood. "I told you not to come outside!"

"I wasn't going to!" I snapped back at him. "I just wanted to look!"

He snarled something unintelligible as I turned away and stomped back toward the bar instead, throwing myself onto the stool with an angry huff.

"What did you say to him, anyway?" I asked Sanji as he busily whisked at some kind of batter in a large bowl.

"What did I say to who, my dear?" the cook responded absentmindedly.

"To Zoro," I waved a hand at the closed kitchen door. "He's been a monster all day, ever since you guys were fighting earlier."

Sanji smirked at me from under his long blonde bangs but didn't pause in his activity. "I'm not sure how that's different from any other day," he shrugged, clearly unconcerned. "He's always been a monster, you know that."

"Yes," I agreed. "But more than usual today. He's only yelled at me like that once before and that was when…" I trailed off as it hit me. Duh.

"When he was worried," Sanji filled in helpfully. He turned to pour the batter into a wide pan, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula. "Yeah, he does that. He's just a barbarian who doesn't know how to handle any kind of emotion or action that isn't 'kill'. Don't let it get to you."

"Can't argue with that," I said dryly and the cook chuckled. "But," I continued, "you didn't answer my question."

Sanji sighed and placed the pan carefully into the large oven, washing his hands in the sink and drying them on a towel before responding. "Honestly, I only asked what he thought of you."

"And he got that mad?" I said skeptically.

"Well," Sanji shrugged again. "I may have also said I was surprised he didn't get you _both_ lost in the woods yesterday and asked why the hell he nearly let you drown to begin with."

Huh. No wonder Zoro was mad. The comment about the woods probably reminded him of our run-in with the dragon girl. I shuddered a little as I remembered his anger and tension but quickly got back on track. "And?"

"And I sort of also implied he was trying to get rid of you," Sanji said in a rush.

"What?" I said, surprised. That would go against what Luffy had told Zoro to do, and I was astonished he hadn't cut the cook in half at such an implication. "And what did he say?"

"I don't know," Sanji turned away to pull a giant cutting board from under the bar. "Something about my eyebrow. The usual."

"I meant the other thing," I pressed. "Not the drowning part."

"Oh, that. Not much, actually. My sweet Nami arrived with you before I could get an answer out of him. Shitty moss head," he added under his breath, although the insult was still audible. He began chopping more fruits on the cutting board, placing them neatly into a small glass bowl beside him.

I watched him work, my mind once again on what the swordsman had told me about Syla and his reaction to the threat of her being so close by. While Luffy and the others were protecting me purely for the sake of keeping me safe because we knew each other, Brook and Franky excluded and more likely just following their captain's orders, Zoro's motives were far more mysterious. Yes, he had to watch me because Luffy said so, but why the hell was he so damned _angry_ about it? I wasn't that bad, was I?

Well, you know. Apart from the whole getting on his nerves almost constantly thing.

I sighed and decided I wasn't going to waste energy thinking about the questionably fathomless and more than likely off-kilter inner workings of the Mind Of Zoro. Grumbling to myself about irritating and algae-infested demons, I focused on the neatly chopped fruits instead.

Unfortunately my little outburst had caught Sanji's attention and he abandoned his work to fix yet another kettle of sweet green tea, no doubt thinking the drink had some kind of mysterious healing abilities. Not wanting to insult him I took it and pretended to enjoy it while trying inconspicuously to find a place to dump it out at the first opportunity.

If I never saw another cup of the stuff it would be all too soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Wow, sorry about the length of this one. I just didn't want to split it up.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Warnings: Brief Language

As always, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Dinner was a hurried affair.<p>

Everyone was seated, sated and out the door again before I had even tasted my food, some kind of fancy fish fry with stewed vegetables and the fruit-covered cake Sanji had made earlier. It had also been an unusually sedated meal, while it lasted. Nami was checking her maps at the table, Luffy and Chopper were still playing some form of 'I Spy', actually staying _in_ their seats for it, and Franky and Ussop were planning for our departure the next day. Brook and Robin had gone back on watch and Zoro had ignored everyone completely.

I stood up and followed Sanji to the sink as the door closed behind the angry swordsman, leaving us alone again.

"Welcome to Sanji's Eat-And-Run Diner," the cook joked. He began filling the sink with hot water and stacking the used plates to one side.

"Please let me help you," I begged. "I'm about to go crazy here."

Sanji sighed. "I know it must be hard on you, my dear," he said sympathetically. "Being away from your own home and trapped in the bowels of a ship. However," he smiled. "At least you still have my charming self for company, eh?"

I wanted to stick my tongue out at him but realized that might only encourage his behavior. "I'm just bored, is all."

Sanji pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, chewing on the butt in a thoughtful manner. "Alright," he finally conceded. "But please Renna dear, just don't tell Nami."

I happily agreed and he moved away from the sink to let me finish cleaning the dishes while he wiped down the table and counters.

* * *

><p>It was another fairly quiet evening as the crew gathered inside again after sunset, lounging in the aquarium while Brook played his violin joyfully and Luffy screeched along in what he probably though was a very nice rendition of the song. Robin had come back in with Nami and Franky, leaving Chopper, Sanji and Ussop on watch. Zoro had disappeared. Again.<p>

Nami looked over from where she had been having a discussion on handbag styles with Robin, dark eyes scanning the area before landing on me where I sat next to Franky's hulking form. "Where the hell is that idiot?" she demanded, addressing the rest of the room. "Isn't he supposed to be with Renna?"

"I don't mind," I said quickly. There was no need to ask who she meant. "Really. Besides, I'm sure I'm completely safe with you guys here."

"What's the deal with you two, anyway?" Franky asked, turning his head to look at me curiously. He was sitting on the floor while I perched on the bench by his shoulder, bringing us about eye-level.

"No deal," I shrugged. "We just…are?"

"Was that a question?" Franky smirked.

"Don't you like him?" Luffy had stopped squealing to the music and was now looking at me with his head tilted to one side. "Why not?"

Nami rolled her eyes. "Obviously its because Renna has better taste than some people," she said dryly. "Really Luffy, what's with the torture? Can't you just assign someone else to guard the poor girl?"

Luffy turned his attention to the navigator, eyes wide. "Assign?" he repeated. "I didn't assign Zoro. He volunteered."

"What?" Nami and I both gawked. I could see the surprise mirrored on Robin's face as well.

"He did?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Luffy appeared even more confused by our reaction. "Just before breakfast the morning after Mermaid came back," he explained. "Why wouldn't he? They're friends, right?"

"Uhm," I started, but Nami shook her head a fraction in warning and I changed my answer quickly. "Sure, Luffy."

Luffy grinned at me and Nami rolled her eyes again over his shoulder. "See?" he said. "Everyone's fine." And he went right back to 'singing'.

I finally caught on to why Nami didn't let me respond truthfully to the captain's question. It would bother Luffy if he knew his swordsman and his mermaid were fighting. Yes, apparently I was still 'Mermaid'. I found I didn't mind it very much anymore.

* * *

><p>I awoke the next morning in the same place I had the day before. Robin was sitting at Chopper's desk reading a book, and looked up as I started moving around.<p>

"Good morning, Miss Renna," she greeted. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," I mumbled. I stood slowly from the hard cot/table and pulled the nightgown around to where it should be. Honestly, with how I tossed and turned I was surprised I never woke up on the floor. Although with Robin there it probably wouldn't have happened anyway.

I looked around almost automatically for a familiar head of green hair but the swordsman wasn't anywhere in sight. "Where's Zoro?" I asked, my brain still foggy from sleep. I had grown so accustomed to waking up to his sour face it felt a little strange to not see him there.

"He's on watch," Robin answered. She stood from the chair and brought a tall paper bag out from under the desk, carrying it to the make-shift bed. "Here. Your clothes for today."

I told her thanks and picked up the bag as she led the way to the bath.

After showering and changing I was much more awake and very ready for breakfast.

Sanji was back in the kitchen again when we arrived and greeted us with a dazzling smile and a cup of coffee each. "Good morning, my beauties!" he sang. "Robin, as lovely as ever! Renna, you look extraordinary in that outfit!"

I glanced down at my fitted black pants and red v-neck tee, half covered by a cropped, dark grey jacket. "Uhm, thanks," I replied before looking back up at the cook. "You're sure in a good mood. What gives?"

"We're leaving this hell-hole of an island today," Sanji beamed and turned to flip the battered toast on the griddle behind him. "And good riddance, I say."

We were leaving today? "That's great," I agreed and returned the smile while Robin moved past me to sit at the high counter with her coffee to wait for breakfast.

Twenty minutes later the table was buzzing with the excited prospect of leaving the island, I never had caught the name of the damned thing, and Luffy chattered excitedly about finally getting back to their adventures to anyone who would listen.

One by one the crew finished off what their captain hadn't already eaten and got up to prepare the Sunny for departure until it was only Sanji, Zoro and myself in the kitchen. I watched Zoro make a detour toward the liquor cabinet and instantly pounced on the opportunity, heading him off as he started for the door.

"Zoro, wait." Skidding to a halt in front of him I put my arms out, as if I could physically stop him from leaving the room. "Please let me go outside."

"What? No." The swordsman frowned at me, a bottle of sake in one hand. "Move."

"Just this once?" I asked again. "I'm getting cabin fever, seriously."

"I said no," Zoro held firm. "We're leaving in a few hours anyway, can't you wait?"

"No," I said stubbornly. "I can't." When he still didn't budge I decided to go with a threat. "I'm going to cry."

"No, you're not," Zoro scowled. "You don't strike me as the type to cry that easily." He stepped to the side to go around me. I stepped with him and, before I had the chance to think about what I was doing, wrapped my arms around his middle and held on tight.

"Hey!" he protested, hands raised high on his sides as if touching me was going to burn him. "Get off!"

I heard Sanji make a strangled sound from somewhere on the other side of the swordsman but ignored him. "Not until you let me go outside," I said. "I'm just going to keep bothering you, you know." I felt Zoro growling in warning and added. "One minute. That's all I'm asking for, I swear."

Having had enough of the contact, Zoro reached down and plucked my arms from his ribs, pushing me back to look at me sternly. "One minute," he agreed. "That's all. And I'm going to tell you right now that this is a bad idea."

I nodded out of reflex, not actually agreeing with what he was saying, and followed him out the door to the deck of the Sunny.

He walked along the upper deck and down the stairs, keeping me next to him and looking around every so often. "To the other side," he directed, "away from the island."

I was too happy to be breathing fresh air again to complain. We made our way across the grass and Zoro stopped beside the railing at the far end, sitting down with his back to it and uncorking the bottle he had brought with him. I remained standing.

"So," I started, searching for something to say. I remembered the conversation from the previous night and went with that. "Why did you decide to volunteer?" I asked. Zoro shot me a look that said he thought I had finally lost it, so I continued. "You told me Luffy's orders still applied, but he said you volunteered."

Zoro took a drink from the bottle before answering. "Guess I just assumed they did," he shrugged. "Why? You want a different guard?"

"Not really," I answered truthfully. Zoro might be a rude, scowling, directionally-challenged asshat most of the time, but I trusted him to keep me safe when he was around. "I was just wondering."

"Hm," he said.

"Why are you so mad, by the way?" I asked. "Was it because of what Sanji said? You know he's just trying to rile you up, right?"

"I don't give two shits about what Curly Brow thinks," Zoro growled, but it was hard to miss the tension in his shoulders when I brought up the cook's comments. "Got it?"

"That's what I mean," I nodded at him, not taking the bait for an argument. "I know you guys fight a lot but why are so you pissed at me?"

Zoro turned away angrily and took another drink. "Because you came back," he finally responded.

I felt myself rankle at that and took a step toward him. "It's not like I meant to!" I snapped. "I can't control it!"

"I know that," Zoro said, sounding a bit worn now. "But it's too dangerous for you here. You're gonna get yourself killed, you know. And your minute is up," he added.

"Fine," I deflated. "I guess a few more hours without sunlight wont hurt anything, right?"

Zoro was about to answer when Nami's voice reached us and we both looked up.

"Hey guys," she called down from the aft deck, her voice warbling strangely. "I know you two don't get along very often and I hate to ruin the moment, but we've got a situation over here!"

Zoro frowned. "What kind of situation?" he called back.

Before Nami could answer Ussop was against the rail next to her, looking panicked. "Like 'A reindeer eaten by a Sea King' kind of situation!" he all but screamed.

Zoro was on his feet and across the deck like a shot, bottle forgotten. "Chopper!"

I stood frozen on the spot as he disappeared. Sea King? This close to land? We were still docked, after all, and it didn't make much sense. Something didn't feel right about it.

"Wait!" I shouted. "Zoro!"

"Now, there's no need for that," a low male voice sounded from just over my shoulder. It took a mere half of a second to recognize it as the same gravelly tone I had heard coming from the house in the woods. "You wouldn't want to worry your friends, would you? Not when they seem so preoccupied."

I turned slowly, heart hammering, and saw a tall thin man with dark but graying hair stepping lightly over the rail of the Sunny. He was wearing a loose, plain-looking brown shirt and pants, but the way he carried himself hinted at a hidden strength. The dragon girl was perched on top of the rail behind him and studying me with a clinical gaze. Her diamond weapons were strapped to her narrow waist under her strange jacket. But the most blood chilling thing about the entire scene was the green, luminescent light in the girl's eyes.

Syla was here. Where was Zoro?

The tall man had grabbed me before I could shout again and clamped a long-fingered hand over my mouth. He turned and motioned to Syla, then picked me clear off my feet and moved back across the railing like a shadow, over the edge of the Sunny. We landed in a small boat, the force squeezing his arm around my ribcage before letting up a fraction and the raft started moving on its own the second Syla touched down next to us.

I tugged at the hand over my mouth angrily but it was like pulling on an iron band. Giving up I tried to look back toward the Sunny, to see if maybe someone had noticed me being shoved off the ship, and realized with a jolt that I couldn't even see it.

"I wouldn't bother," Syla's calm voice broke through my fear. "It's a water shield, they wont be able to see us at all."

I glared at her over the fingers and gave her one of my own. Syla raised an eyebrow at me and I remembered they probably had no idea what the gesture meant, in which case it was pointless. Still, it did make me feel just a little bit better.

The boat sailed quickly through the waters surrounding the island and eventually landed itself on a rocky beach, far away from the Sunny. The man, Shogun, climbed out and pulled me along with him, finally releasing his grip on my face.

"Let go of me, you creep!" I yelled instantly, trying to dig my feet into the ground and scrabbling at the fingers around my wrist. "Get off!"

Another hand took hold of my other arm as Syla appeared at my side, pushing me along with apparent ease. I rounded on her, instead.

"What the _hell_ did you do to Chopper?" I demanded loudly. I could still see the fear in Nami's and Ussop's faces and the panic lining Zoro's stern features as he ran after the doctor. Luffy was going to be furious. The thought of what the captain was going to do to these two when he caught up with us gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

And he would catch up with us, I was sure of it. Luffy didn't take slights against his friends lightly, and Chopper was very important to the rubbery brat.

"Who?" the dragon girl asked, looking confused.

"The reindeer," I clarified through clenched teeth. She was playing dumb with me, the witch.

"Oh," Syla nodded. "It was just a distraction."

I felt myself blow up at that. "A _distraction! _You think trying to kill Chopper is just a _distraction? _You don't seem to understand that Luffy is going to _murder you!_"

Syla didn't even flinch at that. She kept silent as we ascended a narrow incline to the top of a hill over-looking the beach and onto a dusty road, leading into the woods. "I wouldn't worry about it," she said simply.

"Enough," Shogun's gravelly voice cut through me like a knife before I could start yelling again. "Modokai, do not aggravate the girl. We need her in top form, after all."

It took a few dizzying moments to remember why they had resorted to kidnapping me in the first place. "I'm not a Seer!" I blurted out. Shogun ignored me. "I mean it!" I continued. "You guys don't get it, I'm not from this world. There are-" here I hesitated. If I revealed the fact that I wasn't a psychic it would definitely cut out their use for me, which would mean I was as good as dead. But I wasn't going to help them. Ever. "There are things in my world," I pressed on, "that let me see some of this one. But I don't decide what is shown at all. I just watch, alright?"

We were now far into the trees and on a long road leading away from where I knew the town was located. It was just lucky I didn't have Zoro's crappy sense of direction or I probably would have thought we were on an entirely different island.

Shogun released my wrist and took a few slow steps forward, facing away from us, his shoulders tense. "Is that the truth?" he asked in a low voice.

I stood on the path with Syla still gripping my arm tightly, halting any thoughts of escape. "Yes," I answered, surprised to hear my own voice sounding so steady. Inside, I was shaking uncontrollably.

Shogun turned his head a little to glance over his shoulder at Syla. "Is she lying?"

I looked at the dragon girl in a kind of terrified confusion. How could she possibly know for certain if I was lying or not just by listening, and only vaguely at that? But Syla wasn't looking at me; she was staring at Shogun with a hard, level gaze. Finally she answered, "No. She is not."

Shogun turned away again. "I see. Girl, are you from this world?" he asked.

Was he getting hard of hearing? "I already said I wasn't," I frowned.

"Modokai?" Shogun tilted his head.

"It's the truth," Syla nodded.

He seemed to consider this for a moment. "What is your name?" he asked, and I knew he was talking to me.

"Haeven Renna," I answered without hesitation, using the strange pronunciation Luffy had added to the name Franky had given me.

"And?" the tall man inquired without turning around.

Syla appeared a little confused for a second, brow drawn down over her dark green eyes. I wondered briefly when they had stopped glowing before she said, "I'm not sure, actually."

"Very well," Shogun seemed satisfied anyway and I had to wonder what exactly made him think the dragon girl was some kind of walking lie-detector. "Haeven Renna," he started in an abrasive tone. "Are you a Seer?"

I was shaking on the outside now, my palms sweaty inside closed fists. "No."

The man looked at Syla once more, who seemed to falter for a moment before replying, "Again, it's the truth."

Shogun turned away from us and began walking further along the road. "Then kill her."

I gasped and pushed away immediately. "_No!_"

Syla stopped my flailing hand and brought it down to my arm, trapping them together as she stepped in front of me. I struggled, trying to pull my arms free, but she was too strong. I shouted again and pulled back as far as I could, knowing it was fruitless. There was no way I could fight a dragon, even if she did look human. I was going to be cut to pieces in seconds.

Slowly, Syla unsheathed the long diamond blade, holding it just beside my head. My entire body locked up just before she smiled at me, a startlingly reassuring smile, and leaned in to whisper, "Run, Haeven."

I gaped in complete shock as the chained blade whipped out _behind_ her, straight toward Shogun.


	10. Chapter 10

So, I don't seem to have any consistency in chapter length. Sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Warnings: Brief Language

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><p>I stood rooted to the spot as Syla let go of me, turned and attacked her partner instead. What. Just. Happened?<p>

Shogun had spun around to dodge the diamond blade and pulled two long, deadly-looking katana from under his loose shirt. He swung them both in a horizontal arc and Syla, who had jumped high into the air, landed again immediately to deflect the cutting slash of air aiming straight toward my head.

Long, thin loops of white chain flew around the small girl and were somehow blocking the blurred flurry of blades as Shogun attacked with a speed that was eerily similar to Zoro's. No wonder the swordsman had a problem getting out of the dojo the other day, even as strong as he was.

Shogun broke through the chain shield and struck with another fierce blow, but the chains had wrapped around Syla's arms and she deflected it, the force of the sudden attack pushing her back several feet. He was immediately on top of her again and I could feel something dark and violent pulsing through the air as I watched the vicious struggle from a few yards down the road.

_There's no way he's an ordinary person_, I thought numbly. _He's too strong for that._

My suspicions were confirmed as Shogun raised his head and I caught a glimpse of graying skin and long, razor-sharp teeth. His entire face seemed to have transformed during the fight. What the hell was he?

The dragon girl sprung from the ground again and swung around in a kind of corkscrew charging maneuver, the chains of her weapons still wrapped around her limbs and torso like armor. "Go!" she yelled over her shoulder and turned back around, pulling the chains loose from her arms before looping them in the air and tightening them around both of Shogun's blades to stop his next assault. "_Lumbra!"_

I backed away as the giant black wolf I had seen before appeared in the air above Syla like an enormous shadow. Within another second it had solidified into a mass of rippling muscle and fur and fell on top of Shogun, biting and snarling with its hackles raised. The sight was enough to spring me into action and I turned and ran down the road.

The frightening energy exploded very suddenly and the power of the dark waves threw me forward onto the packed dirt. I rolled on impact and scrambled to my feet again without stopping to think about what was going on behind me. Yes, running away was definitely a good idea right now. There was no way I would survive for more than a second if Shogun caught me.

An enraged cry cut through the air but I didn't turn to look. I was too busy running as fast as I could, trying to put as much distance between myself and the two fighters as possible and heading for the ship and the safety of the crew. If I could get to them…

I began to lag a little despite myself, I had never been a very strong runner. I thought fleetingly of Syla, still down the road and fighting off something that clearly wasn't human, just to give me a chance to escape. I thought I probably should have felt a little guilty but was far too occupied with the pounding of my heart to really explore that emotion.

The sounds of angry shouting and the clashing of weapons reached me even from so far down the road and I sped up again. I could still feel the dark, chilling spike of energy that had hit me while I stood on the road before, although it was a little less forceful now. Gradually it began to fade completely, as if it was being wrapped inside a thick blanket. I fought down the urge to glance over my shoulder and kept going instead.

I guessed I was nearly half-way down the long track when I felt a hand grab my arm and I screamed loudly.

"It's me," Syla said, falling into step beside me and taking my wrist in one small hand.

"_What the hell?_"I shrieked anyway. It wasn't all that comforting to have her running so close to me, not when she had been an enemy up until a few minutes ago and for all I knew still was. "Who's side are you on?"

"Yours," was the short reply.

"But," I faltered, "Zoro said- He said _you_ were the one after me!" I was panting, trying to keep up with the nimble girl as she pulled me along by my wrist.

"Zoro's been wrong before," Syla replied and I could hear a slight, biting edge to her voice. "Think about it. Who told him such a thing to begin with?"

If we hadn't been running for our lives I would have slapped myself in the face. As it was I simply groaned, although it was more from the running than anything. "Shogun."

"Yes," she agreed.

"But I still don't get-"

"Shogun wants to know where the Gems are hidden," Syla explained without waiting for me to finish my sentence. "He told Zoro I was the one after you to throw the swordsman off his trail for awhile. I went to Shogun and offered my help, my reason being that I wanted to use your abilities as well." She grinned, not even out of breath after the fight and the run. "You can about guess who was thrown off at that point."

The road forked and Syla darted to the right, still dragging me along with her. "I apologize for taking you," she continued. "Shogun's original plan was to attack the Straw Hats' ship instead. I managed to convince him a more subtle approach was better." She looked over at me. "One person is easier to guard than an entire ship, don't you think?"

I could see that she had a point, even if I didn't exactly appreciate being kidnapped in the first place. "Why didn't you just tell Zoro?" I wheezed as a sharp pain jabbed at my sides. My legs were burning with the effort of keeping my body moving.

"As if he would have listened to me," Syla scoffed. "You saw his reaction for yourself."

I had to agree it did seem unlikely the stubborn man would have paused long enough to hear another side of the story, not when he seemed to hate Syla so much. I pushed the thought aside for the moment. "What about Chopper?" I asked instead, now nearly breathless. If she had done anything to actually hurt the doctor I wasn't about to forgive her for it, even if she had just saved my life.

"He's alright," Syla answered. 'I might have scared him a bit, though. Sorry about that."

We fell into a kind of tug-of-war between my exhausted feet and Syla's strong grip, and my feet seemed to be winning.

"We need to move faster," Syla urged. "The Lumbra wont hold him for much longer." She pulled me to a stop and moved in front of me, grabbing my legs to hoist my body onto her back.

I wanted to ask what she was talking about but pushed that thought back as well when she took off again so fast I nearly over-balanced. I was reminded of the strength with which she had pulled me from the river and was glad she was on our side. Apparently.

"What's a Lumbra?" I finally managed to ask. The question was more to keep myself distracted from the terrifying thought of a pursuer than genuine curiosity.

"A Shadow Wolf," Syla answered without letting up on her pace. "They come in quite handy, actually. You've seen one before."

"That- thing?" I sputtered. "That's right! _You_ chased me to the river, didn't you?" I had nearly forgotten about that little event in the midst of fleeing for my life. Again. "Why?"

"I was just trying to get you away from Shogun," Syla explained. "I didn't think you would actually _fall_ _in_." By her dry tone I could tell she was less than impressed with my forest-prowess.

I grumbled a little at that and stayed quiet for the rest of the trip, trying not to pull on her ridiculously long hair as I held on to her shoulders.

The distance we had already traveled was a welcoming realization and I recognized that we had to be nearly to the shore by now. Still, it was slightly uncomfortable. The speed of Syla's movements was nearly frightening and she was too small to really feel safe holding on to, but the power in her grip was reassurance enough for me to know I wouldn't fall. She skirted the edge of the town and hopped down a few short drops in the rocks, never breaking stride.

We were now in sight of the docks and Syla slowed to let me down, pulling me along the wood to the very edge. I was surprised to see the Sunny had been turned around and was sitting with the lion figure head pointing out toward open water, ready to leave at a moment's notice. Maybe they were still looking for me then, if they hadn't left yet.

I stumbled along behind Syla and heard the angry shouts of the crew from the aft deck as they ran to the railing.

"Renna!" Nami exclaimed. She appeared first with Chopper and Franky beside her and I was relieved to see that Syla had been telling the truth about the reindeer. Brook followed them with an air of caution as Robin's bright gaze pierced us even at such a distance from where she stood beside Ussop.

"Mermaid!" Luffy appeared next as he shouted down to the docks. "Where'd you go? We were looking for you!"

Sanji was standing beside his captain and snarling, although I couldn't make heads or tails of the words.

"Why is that woman with you?" Nami demanded. She turned her eyes to Syla. "What did you do?

"Hand her over!" Ussop scowled. He was reaching a hand into his red side-bag.

Before any real threats could be made however, the dragon girl shoved me forward and addressed Luffy. "Straw Hat! Take her, quickly!"

Luffy, now standing with one foot on the railing as if preparing to spring from the ship, didn't bother to ask any questions as he stretched out one arm in a lightning fast move and grabbed me carefully around the waist, yanking me high into the air toward the deck. I had the awful feeling of being airborne before plowing into the captain with bruising force and a short scream. That was definitely going to leave a mark. Thank the stars for Luffy's rubbery skin or I probably would have broken something.

As we both clambered to our feet I heard a blood-chilling roar of rage from the heart of the small island and I ran to the railing to scan the shore, catching a movement out of the corner of my eye as I did so. I immediately turned my attention back to the docks.

Syla had fallen to one knee on the wood planks, her left hand clamped over the right arm of her jacket in pain. "Go!" she shouted. "He's breaking free!"

"Who is?" Nami demanded. She, along with the rest of the crew, was still glaring at Syla with distrust. I couldn't say I blamed them but there wasn't a lot of time to explain everything that had just happened.

"It's Shogun," I said frantically. I looked at Luffy as he appeared beside me. "It was always Shogun. He told her to kill me but she attacked him instead."

There was a rustling through the crew like wind through leaves. They were obviously weighing the truth of this statement, trying to decide if they should fight the dragon girl or make a run for it. A second roar shook the trees and sent flocks of birds flying into the sky with loud, startled squawks.

"What are you doing, Straw Hat?" Syla yelled angrily. I could hear the pain in her voice all the way from the deck of the Sunny. "Get them out of here!"

Zoro had moved to the railing to stand on the other side of Luffy. "What about you?" he shouted back. His jaw was clenched and one hand gripped the hilt of his white katana in an almost nervous gesture. It was the first thing I had heard him say since I had arrived on the docks with Syla, and his word surprised me.

The dragon girl forced a smile. "I'll hold him off. Just get as far away from here as you can, Zoro." Her tone had lost it's edge by only a degree or two, but it was enough.

The truth of every one of Syla's actions up to this point hit me all at once with the force of a thunderbolt. It had never been me she was trying to protect.

I made a split-second decision. One that I knew I could possibly regret later but at the moment seemed so very important. "Syla! Come with us!" I yelled as I leaned over the railing. "You can't stay here! He'll kill you!" I whipped around to plead with the captain. "Luffy, please! Don't let her die!"

Luffy didn't answer. He was staring down at the girl on the docks, the brim of his hat shadowing his expression.

"Chopper," I turned my head to seek out the doctor. He was standing in his gorilla-like form at the other end of the railing and looked over at my shout. "Are you alright?" I asked.

"This might not be the best time-" Ussop started in a little hesitantly, his voice tense with pre-fight adrenaline and a hint of fear.

"Are you?" I urged the doctor to respond, ignoring Ussop and the others as they stared at me with wary, thoughtful expressions.

Chopper seemed to consider the question for a moment. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "The thing that came out of the bay was made of water, but it had a pocket of air on the inside of it." He was studying me with a good amount of concern. "Why do you ask?"

I waved the inquiry away impatiently. "Then what happened?" My words were rushed. I had absolutely no desire to be caught by the beast that was Shogun, but I didn't think we could just leave Syla to die, either. She might be the descendant of dragons but she was no match for whatever was living inside the supposed old man.

"It just held on for awhile and spat me back out onto the ship," the doctor replied, still looking unsure of my reasons behind the sudden interrogation regarding his health.

"Don't you think that's a little odd for a Sea King?" I asked as I struggled to remain somewhat calm. I didn't wait for Chopper to answer before pressing on. "It was her. She took you as a distraction to get everyone else out of the area and away from Shogun, but never intended to hurt you. Then she saved me from the bastard, as well. Don't you see?" I saw the look of dawning realization on the doctor's furry face and, satisfied, turned back to the captain. "Luffy, she isn't bad. We can't just leave her, she'll die."

"Get the hell out of here!" Syla snapped, teeth bared. She was still holding her right arm tightly. "Shogun is practically a god, even in the New World! You can't fight him, Haeven!"

"I'm not trying to!" I yelled back at her, leaning over the railing again. "And you had better not, either!" I turned back to Luffy again. "She isn't _bad,_" I insisted. "I _know_ she isn't." I could see Zoro standing on the other side of the captain, his expression unreadable as he stared down at Syla with his one good eye. I knew he didn't trust her, but I also had the strong feeling something was missing from his story. Something vital.

"Renna," Nami said uncertainly. "You can't seriously ask us to save an enemy."

I shot a quick glance at the navigator. "But she-"

"It's fine," Luffy interrupted. "She can come with us."

I looked at him again and was reminded in an instant exactly why he was the captain. Gone was the goofy, care-free boy with the silly smile. In his place was a young man with eyes older than they really ought to be and an unbreakable conviction in his beliefs. The beliefs in himself, and the beliefs in his crew.

"She can come with us," Luffy repeated. "After we beat Shogun."


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, the fight is here. Not much else to say about this one, though.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Brief Language.

As always, enjoy!

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><p>Chopper had allowed the rest of the crew, plus Syla and myself, into the medical room about half an hour before and we all crammed together inside the tiny area as Zoro lay unconscious on the cot. The swordsman's shoulders and torso were wrapped in white bandages and he was still covered in blood and dirt.<p>

Nami was sitting in the chair with the small doctor in her lap. Sanji and Ussop stood behind them, the cook heavily bandaged but still on his feet. Syla was in the corner beside Brook, her arms folded as she avoided looking at any of us and stared at the ground instead. Franky was kneeling in the hallway with just his head poking into the room, since he was too big to be in there with the rest of us.

I was standing between Luffy and Robin, chewing on my lip as my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

Zoro looked too pale, even wrapped in all those bandages. He had lost so much blood already. It wasn't very surprising then that he hadn't so much as twitched since Luffy had carried him back onto the Sunny, limp as a rag doll.

Curling my fingers tighter I gnashed my teeth together and continued my silent vigil over the fallen swordsman with the rest of the Straw Hats. I doubted this was how anyone had planned for the fight to turn out…

* * *

><p><strong>-Two Hours Earlier-<strong>

She can come with us," Luffy repeated. "After we beat Shogun."

"What?" Nami, Ussop and I all yelled together.

"Luffy, you cant be serious," the sniper tried to reason. "Didn't you hear what she said? The guy is a god. We'd be better to just get the hell out of here while we can."

"I'm with him," I nodded quickly. "You didn't see Shogun, Luffy. There's something…not right about him, believe me."

"I've decided," Luffy hadn't looked at any of us. He was still staring intently down at Syla. "Hey, dragon girl," he called down to her. "We're gonna go beat up that old guy. You in?"

"Leave," Syla insisted. "Just go."

But the captain wasn't listening as he jumped from the Sunny to land next to her on the docks.

"It's no use," Nami shook her head with a resigned sigh. "Looks like we'll just have to defeat a god. Again."

"No," I spun around to see Franky, Brook and Chopper all readying themselves. Ussop had his Kabuto in one hand and Robin was smiling in an eerie manner. "You can't. I already told you, there's something dangerous about Shogun. Something off."

"We're going." Zoro spoke from behind me. "Luffy says we are, so we are." He walked up to stand next to me. "Maybe you should stay here, Renna."

"Like hell!" Sanji glowered at him. "We can't just leave her here by herself, idiot! Use your brain. That would be a perfect opportunity for that Shogun bastard to take her."

"We aren't bringing her along, shit cook!" Zoro snapped back. "Not when we'll be too busy fighting to keep an eye on her!"

"We have to, Zoro," Nami was impatiently clamping together the sections of her Clima Tact. "There really isn't much choice."

"I'm still here, you know," I frowned at them and folded my arms, irritated they were leaving me out of something so important. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"No," all three of them responded at once. "You don't."

I huffed angrily and looked up at Zoro as he grabbed my arm. His jaw was still set, the tension rolling from his shoulders in nearly visible waves.

"Fine," Zoro growled at Sanji before leaning in next to me. "I told you bringing you outside earlier was a bad idea." He shook his head and continued, "Listen, stay close and don't make a move unless I say so. Got it?"

"Got it," I said wearily. This was definitely not my idea of a proper visit; tagging along with the crew as they faced down some kind of twisted demon-god-man and trying not to get killed in the process. I sighed in resignation and held my arms up like a toddler in an attempt to lighten the mood. Zoro shot me a small smirk before lifting me carefully in one arm and jumping from the aft deck to the docks, landing with ease beside his captain.

Luffy was still giving Syla a stern look, hands planted on his hips and head tilted as he stared down at her. "I'm not changing my mind," he was saying. "Not after that creep fought with Zoro and tried to kill Mermaid. We're gonna kick his ass. Are you coming with us or not?"

Syla, still clutching at her right arm, gave a half-smile, half-grimace. "You are dead set, aren't you Straw Hat? You must be just as crazy as I've always heard you were." She laughed without humor. "Alright. I'm in." She let go of her arm and stood up as the others landed behind us, one by one. "I'm going to call back the Lumbra, then. After that we won't have much time, so be ready."

"Let's get to the trees," Chopper put in as he walked toward us with Ussop and Nami. "Away from the town. The less collateral damage the better."

The rest agreed and I ended up walking between Zoro and Syla with Luffy and Sanji ahead of us and everyone else a few steps behind. "Are we really going to do this?" I asked quietly. "Can't we just leave the island and call it a day? I mean, I know he tried to kill me but I'm not dead, so…"

"It isn't about just that," Syla said. "I told your captain about the Gems. If Shogun gets his hands on them, no force in this world will be able to stop him. He will destroy the Grand Line."

"You didn't mention that earlier," I gaped at her and, not paying attention to my tired feet, tripped over a rock in the path and stumbled forward. Both Zoro and Syla caught me, glared at each other and let go immediately. I noticed the looks as I righted myself and had to stop my eyes from rolling at them in exasperation, although I was more than a little worried about how they would handle fighting on the same side, even if it was temporary.

"There wasn't any time," Syla admitted. She was resolutely avoiding looking at the swordsman. "I was too preoccupied with getting you back to your friends to explain fully."

"Do you know where they are?" Zoro asked in a strained tone. He too was keeping his gaze on Luffy's back, not even so much as turning his head to glance at either of us.

"No," Syla answered. "I don't."

"Not very helpful then, are you?" Zoro sneered.

"Zoro!" I glared up at the side of his head. "Stop that! Please, just for now can you _try_ to get along? At least until Shogun is gone?"

"No promises," the swordsman rumbled. His fingers were still wrapped tightly around the hilt of his white sword, his knuckles strained from the force of his hold.

Well, this was uncomfortable, thought as I tried to ignore the tense atmosphere around our group. I had the same feeling of something missing in the story Zoro had told me about Syla murdering the crews of three full galleons in the East Blue. It just really didn't fit with what I had seen of her and, although I would never claim to be an expert on judging people's characters, I was sure I was right about her wanting to protect Zoro. Even if he was being a stubborn ass at the moment.

Before I could remind them again as to why we were here in the first place, Luffy paused on the trail and turned sharply, running off in the direction of the cliffs. "There!" he shouted.

"How does he-" I started in confusion, but Zoro had pushed me into Syla before I could finish the question and taken off after his captain, untying the bandana from his arm as he ran. "Hey! Zoro!"

"Stay back!" he yelled before disappearing into the trees lining the trail.

"Is it Shogun?" I asked before Syla pushed off from the packed dirt and ran in the direction Zoro and Luffy had disappeared, Sanji following a little further down the trail.

"Forget about them for now," Nami had appeared next to me, Clima Tact in hand and a grim expression on her face. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Renna, stay next to Ussop, alright?" She gestured toward the sniper. "He's a long range fighter, so you'll be out of the way."

I figured as much but kept my mouth closed as we made our way off the narrow road and into the tree line. My heart was pounding but I tried to control my shaking as best I could, walking just behind Ussop and in front of Robin with Brook to the left of us. Franky and Chopper were moving along several yards away, both wearing the same expression I had seen on the navigator. Glancing over at the tall skeleton I noticed he was carrying a thin sword in one bony hand and a violin in the other, humming a low tune that sounded suspiciously like a battle march of some kind.

They were ready for the fight. I was ready to break and run.

We reached the other side of the trees much sooner than I would have liked and spotted Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and Syla. They had formed a line with their backs to us, facing a lone figure a dozen paces away from them. It wasn't difficult to recognize the figure as Shogun. The demon man was standing at the edge of the cliff, leering at the four with an expression of distaste on his graying features.

Franky, Brook and Robin walked out of the trees as Shogun began to speak. "I thought you might come back, Roronoa Zoro. You are far too determined to protect a worthless woman to value your own existence, aren't you? How foolish, especially for a swordsman who aims to be the best. Such empathy will only hold you back."

I couldn't figure out if Shogun meant me or Syla but quickly decided it wasn't important as the rest of the crew tensed in anger at his words. Luffy cracked his knuckles in warning and Sanji tapped his toe against the ground, hands in the pockets of his jacket. Zoro had all three swords out of their sheaths and Syla's chains were once again wrapped around her thin arms. I turned at the sound of a click to see Franky raising his left cannon and Chopper setting something that looked like a big yellow marble between his teeth. I knew that at the slightest signal from their captain, they would attack without a second thought.

The signal didn't come from Luffy.

Zoro tilted the blades in his hands and growled in a low rumble that reached all the way back to where I stood in the trees with the sniper. "I told you before, giving Renna over to you won't do a damn bit of good. Try to take her, I'll cut you into pieces. Same goes for Syla."

"I thought as much," Shogun grinned, showing a row of pointed teeth. "It hardly matters to me if you keep the dragon or not, I no longer have need of her. Do what you want with that one. However, I will be taking the witch. Modokai wouldn't have been so keen to protect that girl if she weren't important."

What a bizarre way of looking at things, I thought with a surprising clarity. He didn't even consider the fact that Syla had saved me, not because of any 'ability' I might have, but because she simply wasn't willing to let me die. The idea seemed to have never crossed his twisted mind, which wasn't all that fortunate for me.

But Zoro wasn't having any of it. "Like I said," he snarled around the hilt of the katana in his mouth. "Touch her and I'll kill you."

Shogun gave a venomous smile. "If you can." He made a kind of gesture that I couldn't quite make out from where I still stood next to the sniper, but the reaction was instantaneous.

Zoro charged forward without warning and the other three followed closely.

The fight itself was not much more than a blur to me, most of the movements too fast to follow. I watched as Zoro's first attack was deflected with ease and Luffy's fist missed its mark. Sanji was nearly thrown off the cliff when his leg, rolling with bright red flames, bounced forcefully off Shogun's blade and he was only saved when one of Syla's chains flew after him and he pulled himself back with it just in time.

Luffy began to glow and steam rolled from his skin as he called Gear Second into play. He attacked again furiously, but Shogun was ready for it and the captain's fist connected with nothing but hard ground. Shogun had moved so quickly no one had seemed to see him do it and he now stood directly in front of Syla. I didn't even have time to draw a breath before he swung both blades down toward her head before she could call back her chains to block it.

A deafening clang rang out from the cliff-top and suddenly Zoro was between them, all three of his katana halting Shogun's brutal attack as he shoved Syla back and out of the way with a fierce snarl at the demon man.

Then someone hit the slow motion button on Life. Luffy and Sanji were charging from opposite directions; Syla was quickly wrapping the chains up and around her small frame for a counter attack; Zoro was still holding Shogun at bay. The world exploded around us in a howling frenzy of light and pulsing waves and I couldn't see anything for several seconds, my ears ringing painfully as I crashed into a nearby tree before being thrown to the ground.

I came back to my senses as Ussop hauled me to my feet, one arm around my shoulders and the other holding Kabuto out like a shield. He was cursing fluently under his breath as he dragged me through the trees, not back the way we had come but further along the tree line, perpendicular to the cliffs. I heard the words 'suicidal moron' and 'bat-shit crazy swordsman' and my legs began to grow numb.

I turned to look at the place where the group had been only moments before. There was nothing left but charred ground and crumbling stone.

"What happened?" I gasped. "Where are they?" From the corner of my eye I could see Chopper bounding away in the same direction we were heading and Nami running full-sprint behind him. Franky and Robin were already far ahead with Brook.

"Stupid bastard!" Ussop hissed. "He took a direct hit!" The sniper's usually almost clownish voice was rough with worry, and I knew that whatever the current situation was, it wasn't good.

"Who?" I asked shrilly. "Was it- Oh, no! Zoro!" That's right. The swordsman had been only a foot in front of Shogun just before the explosion. My feet seemed to take on a life of their own as I gained some strength in my exhausted body.

"Stay behind me, Renna!" Ussop snapped. "It won't help anything for you to go tearing into the middle of that!" He let go of me to switch Kabuto to his other hand and reach into his bag for ammunition. "Just stay back!"

I really didn't have any complaint with that order. What could I possibly do but get in the way? Instead I moved behind the sniper and followed him step for step, trying very hard not to hyperventilate.

Before I knew what was happening we were nearly on top of the fight. Ussop kept to the trees and began firing off powerful shots from Kabuto, still swearing quite colorfully. Peeking out from behind his shoulder I nearly fell over again in shock.

The Straw Hats were attacking what looked like a giant, roiling mass of black lava as it struck out at each of them in turn with razor-sharp points that sprung out and solidified at various intervals. The mass pocked here and there as Franky fired at it repeatedly and Syla and Brook were running around the weird sphere, avoiding the deadly spikes and striking whatever they could reach. Robin's arms were crossed, teeth bared in an uncharacteristic snarl and Chopper rammed the mass from several different angles as he roared in fury. Nami was shrieking incoherently, striking at it with a Thunder Tempo again and again, and Luffy howled with a voice that echoed with more than just rage.

Their reactions to the randomly spiking ball seemed a little odd until I realized with a heart-stopping jolt that Zoro was not among them.

He was _inside_ that churning death-trap.

"Get out of there!" I screamed in horror, hardly aware of anything but the ground under my feet. "Zoro!"

As if in answer to my pleading the bubble burst at the top and Zoro flew out, soaring several feet through the air before hitting the ground with a painful thud and rolling to a stop. He didn't move.

"Get up!" I shouted. "Zoro! _Move!_"

"Look out!"

The crew turned at Syla's warning and darted back simultaneously as the mass began to shrink and condense, glowing around the edges with a malicious light. Luffy landed next to Zoro and tried to wake his swordsman with a frantic yell and several half-finished threats. Still, Zoro didn't budge.

Inch by inch the mass pulled itself in until the tall, thin figure of Shogun was just visible inside the sickening light.

"Move back! Now!" Syla ordered sharply. "He's going to attack!" She grabbed Nami around the waist as she passed the other girl and darted away, heading for the trees. The others followed quickly.

I watched in frozen, mind-numbing terror, my eyes glued to the scene as the ball of black light began to expand again with a speed I had never seen before in my life. The others were still within range. They weren't going to make it to the forest before the next explosion.

I was aware of another shout, loud and sharp, and Zoro was in front of Shogun once more. Somehow he had regained consciousness and gotten past Luffy before anyone had even realized it. The three katana were now spinning fast enough to blur as the swordsman pushed into the demon and the explosion without so much as a moment's hesitation, sending both men tumbling off the cliff as the force of Shogun's attack hit the rock face instead. The ground shattered and crumbled behind the Straw Hats but they ran on and reached the safety of the trees just in time, turning to look for their green-haired comrade.

Luffy got to him first and with a quick reach and a sharp tug the swordsman was back on the ground beside the tree line, covered in gashes and blood and completely motionless. Amazingly he still held his katana in a death grip. Luffy reached down to dislodge the swords before turning to the doctor.

Chopper needed no prompting to get to work. "We have to move him back to the ship," he said, voice quivering. "It's bad. He blocked the explosion with his body. I have to treat him immediately." He began hovering over Zoro's broken form and I figured it was only through practice that he wasn't shaking as he checked several of the deeper injuries. "His heart is barely beating," he reported with the same tremor. "I don't think he's breathing, either."

Sanji was now cursing along with Ussop and Nami looked very close to tears. Franky wasn't too far off either. Brook and Robin didn't say anything.

"Best move him now, then," Syla murmured. She was even more pale than usual, which was definitely saying something, and appeared drained to the point of falling over. Her hand was clamped around her right arm once again. "Shogun is gone. I can't feel him anywhere on the island either, but I seriously doubt he is dead." She was leaning against a tree for support, the fingers of her other hand digging into the bark until they bled.

"Gone to the next island most likely," Robin nodded in an absent-minded manner. "That would be the best route for us to take as well, then." Her bright eyes swept the group and landed on the captain.

But Luffy wasn't listening anymore. He bent down and scooped Zoro off the ground, running to the ship with a speed driven by fear and anger. Chopper followed at his heels in his reindeer form.

I couldn't move. My legs felt as hollow as if they were filled with air and hardly seemed attached to the rest of me at all. I couldn't even begin to process what had just happened and before I could go after the others, turned and heaved behind the nearest tree. Coughing harshly I eventually straightened to see Ussop waiting for me with a hard, set look I had rarely seen him wear. He stepped forward and picked me up without a word, Kabuto tucked into the strap of his bag, and we made our way to the Sunny as fast as possible.

I couldn't believe he had done it. I really couldn't. Although I knew Zoro was obsessively protective of his crew mates I never imagined he would go so far without having some kind of back-up escape route for after the counter attack. I figured he would have learned his lesson by this point in their journey. Apparently he hadn't, and now the Straw Hats were very close to losing one of their number. But it wasn't over just yet.

I was clinging stubbornly to the faith that the doctor could fix anyone, no matter how bad the injuries, and had done so on several occasions before now. Still, it was difficult not to think the worst and eventually I allowed my brain to shut down as we reached the ship and waited for any news from Chopper.

* * *

><p>Now, as I looked down at the unconscious swordsman I was fighting back a strong wave of rage I doubted I had ever felt in my life.<p>

_Wake up, you unbelievable idiot, _I chanted silently as my fingers found Robin's and held on tight. _You had better wake up…_


	12. Chapter 12

So, I don't seem to have much consistency in chapter length. Sorry about that.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Warnings: Brief Language.

* * *

><p>The group was very quiet as we waited for what felt like hours. Even Brook had abandoned his perpetual humming as he leaned against the far wall beside Syla and Luffy hadn't said anything at all.<p>

At first there had been a kind of quiet murmuring while Syla told us that both of the explosions should have been enough to level half of the island and Robin and Nami came up with a chilling theory: Zoro had used one of his manifestations, similar to the Asura form but opposite in effect, to intentionally absorb most of the attacks into himself, lessening the chance of anyone else being hurt by it.

No one had said much after that. The silence was nearly deafening and only served as a reminder for the seriousness of the situation.

In an attempt to distract myself, I turned away to study the line of empty vases on a narrow table behind me. I wondered if Chopper kept them in here for flower bouquets when one of the crew was laid up for any length of time. They were all empty now.

I whipped back around as Zoro gave a low groan and raised one hand to rub at his eye tiredly.

"That was a good nap," he rumbled with only a small bite of sarcasm.

Chopper was off Nami's lap and across the small room in a heartbeat, jumping onto the stool beside the cot to look over his patient. "Zoro! You're awake!"

No one else moved from their current positions but all of the tension drained from the room the moment the swordsman had started talking. I heard Sanji scoff and Luffy giggle as apparently they chalked it up to just another after-battle get-together. It seemed they had almost known the damage wouldn't keep Zoro down for very long once Chopper got his heart pumping again and were no longer all that stressed about it.

I had to remind myself that Zoro was stupidly strong, after all. I also realized that with the green-haired terror involved, the attack had probably looked a lot worse than it had actually been. No doubt the other Straw Hats were almost used to watching him pull back from the brink of permanent oblivion and had only been waiting for the moment he would wake up, heavily bandaged but already on the mend.

I, on the other hand, was furious.

"You had us going for a minute, Sword Bro," Franky snickered from the doorway. "Tossing yourself off a cliff like that."

"How silly of you, Master Zoro," Brook agreed fondly. Beside him, Syla simply shook her head in exasperation and went back to staring at the floor.

"Honestly Zoro," Nami rolled her eyes and Ussop and Sanji directed disapproving scowls at the swordsman, although none of the looks held much force behind them. "Can you at least _try_ not to throw yourself at every little thing that blows up whenever we're in a fight? Its getting really old, you know."

"But you do seem to be feeling better already," Robin observed. "Your battle stamina is certainly a large factor in that, but I suppose our doctor's quick skills are what ultimately saved you. Do try not to be so reckless."

Chopper nodded quickly from the stool. "Robin is right. And I've already applied the skin glue to the worst of your injuries, so as long as you don't move around too much yet you should be- Hey, wait!"

Zoro ignored the doctor's startled warnings and sat up on the cot, swinging his legs around to hang off the sides. "What happened?" he asked the room. "How did the fight end?"

"Shogun escaped," Nami answered. "We're on course for the next island right now; I'm more than sure he'll be there."

"Shit," Zoro said with feeling. "Damned stupid demon bastard. I was hoping to get off a few more hits before I blacked out."

"Don't worry about it," Luffy grinned. "You'll get another chance. He's not getting away from us that easy." Now that his swordsman was out of immediate danger he had gone back to his usual goofy self.

Zoro smirked at the captain in agreement and I lost what little control I had been holding on to for the past couple of hours.

"_You idiot!" _I exploded, releasing all of the fear and anger that had been building since Zoro had taken that first hit. "_What the hell were you thinking!_" I was seeing red, watching the swordsman dive at Shogun's massive attack over and over in my head.

"Renna," Ussop started worriedly. I ignored him, not tearing my eyes away from Zoro.

"I have _never _seen anything so _stupid_ in my life!" The volume of my voice was hurting my own ears but I plowed on anyway. "_Don't you have any self-preservation instinct at all, you psychotic son of a bitch!_"

Luffy and Robin each took a step away from me, letting me rant without interruption. The others simply looked on with expressions ranging from wary to curious.

"As you can see," Zoro said calmly. "I'm fine."

"_Shut the hell up, Zoro!_" I screamed. "I'm not about to listen to that idiotic macho crap! This isn't just about _you!_ Don't you realize how anyone else would feel if you _died!_" In a blind rage I grabbed one of the vases from the table and hurled it at Zoro's annoyingly green head with surprising speed. It missed of course. I had never had much hand-eye coordination to begin with and certainly not when I was so angry.

The vase shattered into pieces against the wall and fell to the cot behind the swordsman.

"Renna, stop!" Chopper cried.

"Wait, Sis," Franky warned. He wriggled in the doorway as if to reach in and block my attack on the injured man.

Undaunted, I snatched another vase and threw that one as well. It flew past Zoro's head and smashed on the wall the same as the first one, missing his ear by inches. "Selfish bastard!" I hollered.

"Renna!" Nami stood from the chair. "Calm down!"

Zoro hadn't moved an inch. He sat still on the cot, his one good eye studying me with almost no expression at all. His lack of reaction made me all the more furious and I reached for another vase, only to be stopped by Luffy as he grabbed my arm and bent down to pull me up over his shoulder.

"Let me go!" I shouted, still fuming. "I'll kill him myself! Luffy, stop!"

Luffy ignored my barely coherent raging and left the medical room through the exit opposite Franky, closing the door and setting me down in the hallway. He took my hand and turned away to tug me along behind him without a word. I didn't try to stop him, not that I actually could, and resigned myself to follow the captain as my teeth clenched with anger.

Luffy didn't even pause until we had walked outside, down the stairs and through another door. I looked around and finally took note of where we had stopped. What were we doing in the men's sleeping area?

I waited for him to say something. To tell me not to yell at Zoro or to keep my temper to myself on his ship, something like that. He didn't. He simply stood still, his fingers clasped around mine, and after about a full minute I prodded, "Luffy?"

The captain dropped my hand and walked over to one of the lockers on the other side of the room, opening it and digging around for a moment. I watched with a mild curiosity still tempered by fury as Luffy returned holding a small wooden box. He flipped the lid up and reached inside.

"What are you doing?" I asked. His silence was making me nervous. Luffy was never this quiet.

Luffy removed his closed hand and set the box to one side. He then reached for my own hand and pressed something small and light into my palm. A ghost of a smile played around his lips as he watched me pull my arm toward my face to study the object more closely.

I stared down at the plain-looking piece of paper in confusion, my anger ebbing away quickly. "What's this?"

"It's Zoro's Vivre Card," Luffy answered simply.

A Vivre Card. Of course, I had seen these before. A piece of paper that reflected the life force of the person for whom it was made. I had no idea Zoro even had one, actually. "Why would I want this?" I asked.

"So you know he's okay," the captain explained, as if this should be obvious. " He's always okay."

I looked from Luffy to the paper again, unsure of what to say. "I can't-"

"Just hold on to it for now," Luffy grinned. He put one hand on my shoulder briefly before moving past me and toward the open door. "It's fine, Renna."

I stared after him, rooted to the spot as he disappeared out onto the deck. Luffy had never called me anything but 'Mermaid' before now. I knew suddenly he was very serious about what he had said, and meant every word of it.

Holding the paper tightly in one hand I reluctantly followed him.

* * *

><p>I had stayed out on the deck for another hour, sitting on the stairs and leaning back to watch the jolly roger flap gently in the breeze as we moved along the sea. I was still a little irritated with Zoro for being so stupid and reckless but most of my anger had burned off by the time Nami walked carefully down the staircase to sit next to me. She didn't say anything until I turned to meet her scrutinizing gaze, giving her one of my own.<p>

"We'll be at the next island in three days," she said lightly. "Should give everyone some time to recover before we meet up with Shogun again."

I didn't reply to that, rolling the Vivre card between my fingers thoughtfully. I really didn't ever want to meet up with that monster again, and if I did manage to make it home I would do my damnedest to not come back, not matter how much I loved these people. But that wasn't the news I had been waiting for and I gave the navigator another pointed look.

Nami sighed and answered the unasked question. "He'll be fine," she said. "Chopper gave him a really powerful sedative to knock him back out for awhile, not that you didn't put in a pretty good effort to do it, yourself." She turned to look at me again and raised one delicate eyebrow. "What was that about, anyway?"

"He's an idiot," I said blandly.

"Well, yes," Nami agreed. "But I seem to remember you guys getting along a little better right before the fight. Was I wrong?"

I sighed and tugged my fingers through my tangled hair before answering. "Not really. I guess…we had come to a kind of agreement. Sort of. But he's still an idiot."

"Yeah," Nami pulled her knees up and rested her arms across them. "He's over-bearing when he's being protective and nearly gets himself killed every other week to make sure nothing happens to the rest of us. It's like he doesn't really think things through beyond that first goal, most times. But to Zoro, that's what it means to be part of this pirate crew, I guess." She tilted her head toward me and smiled. "He'll never change, Renna. He is always going to put your safety above his own. Is that such a bad thing?"

I hadn't ever thought so before today, remembering my conversation with the swordsman the day I had met Syla. It was true I had always watched Zoro do anything he could to protect the other Straw Hats short of actually dying himself, although that was hardly through any lack of effort on his part. I frowned thoughtfully.

"There's just one little hitch in your theory, though," I said after a pause.

"What's that?"

I turned to meet her gaze fully. "I'm not part of your crew."

Nami didn't respond to that, only looked away with a cryptic smile, staring out onto the open water.

* * *

><p>Some time later I was still sitting on the staircase while the sun made its way slowly down to meet the waves in front of us. Nami had gone back inside awhile before, saying something about reading up on the next island, but I myself hadn't moved much. Apart from trying to find a decent place to store Zoro's Vivre card.<p>

I turned it over in my hand for the hundredth time and sighed. I didn't trust it would stay in my pocket if something like the Shogun incident were to happen again. My boot was probably more secure but a little gross and there was no way I was sticking anything that had a part of Zoro in it inside my bra. Walking around with the card in my hand was completely out of the question. So what the hell was I supposed to do with it?

Light, clipping footsteps descended the stairs behind me and I raised my head at the sound of the skeleton's polite voice.

"Our Master Cook says dinner will be served shortly, Miss Renna," Brook said as he stopped beside me on the stairs. "He has asked me to invite you inside for the meal."

"I'm not all that hungry," I muttered.

I heard a soft whoosh of air that I assumed was the skeleton's way of sighing before long, thin legs stretched out beside me as Brook sat down. "To have such friends," he started quietly. "Those who would risk their own life for yours without a thought and with no expectation of reward. They are truly rare gifts, are they not?"

"If they get themselves killed over it, they're nothing but morons," I growled.

"But they have not," Brook continued. "Have they?"

I was trying to come up with a suitable counter argument but the bony musician beat me to the next line.

"Have faith in us, Miss Renna. We follow our captain and, while he may have the mannerisms of a particularly spoiled child a good deal of the time, he has enough heart to motivate us to do great and impossible things."

"I know that," I sighed. "I just don't like being able to do nothing, is all. It's frustrating."

"I don't doubt that in the least," Brook replied in a strangely cheerful voice. "However, I'm sure your presence on this ship isn't all for nothing."

I turned my head to look at him and averted my eyes again almost immediately. It was still a little too creepy to stare at him for very long, although I did appreciate the thoughtful words. "We'll see," I shrugged.

Brook nodded in satisfaction to my answer and stood again with a flourish, towering over me and giving a jovial chuckle. "Well then, Miss Renna. Shall we?"

"I guess," I agreed. Climbing slowly to my feet I tucked the card into my front pocket, near the bottom. I would still have to come up with a better place to keep it but for now this would work. "Let's go then."

"Of course, my dear," Brook made a low bow. "But first, may I see your-"

"You'll be seeing my fist up close and personal if you finish that sentence," I warned in a very good impression of the navigator.

Brook squeaked and straightened again. "Ah, yes," he fumbled. "Of course."

I gave him another scowl, just so I didn't accidentally smile at his weird behavior, and let him lead the way to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Dinner was subdued that night. I had mumbled a half-apology when I arrived with Brook, not actually feeling very sorry for my outburst, but the crew seemed to have forgotten about it already. A few of them were even trying to engage Syla in conversation while we ate. The dragon girl was sitting at the other end of the table, talking quietly with Robin and Nami and answering Luffy's questions as he voiced them loudly around a mouthful of food.<p>

Chopper and Zoro were both notably absent from the table and Brook offered to take plates to them when we were finished.

I was still thinking about what I had said to the musician. The last battle had been an eye-opener to the actual level of my uselessness on this ship. Every one of these people were fighters and it bothered me that I couldn't even help them.

Later that evening I snuck out of the kitchen while Sanji doted over the three other women and Nami yelled at him for one thing or another, making my through the ship and down to the work area of the two resident inventors.

Franky and Ussop both looked up as I came into the room but almost immediately went back to their work.

"Hey Sis," Franky greeted as he tightened a bolt on a giant piece of metal sitting in front of him. "What's up? You get sick of the cook already?"

"Not really," I admitted. I hovered in the doorway, steeling my resolve to make the request I had been thinking about since my conversation with Brook. "Actually, I have a favor to ask from you both."

The sniper must have caught something in my tone, as he set his hammer on the floor beside him and pulled his goggles back to study me properly. "What is it?"

I met his gaze and looked from him to Franky and back again. "Teach me how to use a cannon."


	13. Chapter 13

Yeah, I have to do one more chapter of angsty explaining before we get back to the fun stuff.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece and never will.

Warnings: Brief Language.

* * *

><p>Franky and Ussop stared at me as if I had just claimed to be the world's greatest aardvark farmer or something as equally ridiculous. The sniper's mouth was hanging open slightly and Franky had pushed his sunglasses to the top of his short hair.<p>

"What was that?" Ussop asked.

"I said," I repeated, straining each syllable, "teach me how to use a cannon. Please," I added hastily.

There was a very long pause and I waited with a good amount of nervousness for their reply, just managing to stop myself from bouncing on the soles of my feet as I stood in the doorway of their work room. It was Ussop who finally answered.

"No," the curly-haired man turned away and pulled his goggles back over his eyes, resuming his previous hammering activity. "Absolutely not."

"What?" I asked in surprise, taking a step into the room. I hadn't expected my idea to be shot down so quickly. "Why not?"

"There's no way you could handle a cannon," Ussop explained reasonably. "It'll knock you on your ass."

"I don't care about that!" I nearly shouted. "I want to help!" I moved further into the room until I was all but hovering over him. "Please, Ussop. Let me help you."

Ussop sighed and paused in his work a second time. He leaned the hammer against his knee and shifted around to look up at me. "Is that what this is about?" he asked. "Listen Renna, I don't know what's going on in your head but what happened to Zoro today wasn't your fault, alright? There's no need to be so reckless."

"I know it wasn't," I said, unconvinced. "But still, I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it anyway. I want to be able to at least not get in the way so much."

"You weren't there to do anything about it," Ussop frowned. "You were there so we could make sure you weren't taken, and you weren't. Did a pretty good job of not being taken, in fact." He sighed again. "Your roll on this ship is to make Luffy not worry, and the best way to do that is to let us protect you, alright?"

"But…" I struggled for an argument once again. Stupid sniper and his rational logic anyway.

"He's right, Sis," Franky added. The cyborg had remained quiet up until now, watching the conversation closely. "Besides, with the way Long Nose and I built these cannons, they'd be way too dangerous for you and Sword Bro would _definitely_ make scrap metal out of me if he ever found out I let you near them."

"He doesn't need to know," I said quickly. "He'll never find out."

"We're on a ship," Ussop answered with a dry tone. "How could he _not_ find out?"

"I'll be careful," I insisted, trying a new angle with the two men. "I wont get hurt or anything, and if I'm going to stay in the back of the fight then a long rang weapon would be best, right?" I looked pleadingly at Ussop again. As a sniper, and a coward, he would be the most likely to see where I was coming from.

"I don't know, Renna," Ussop still looked very doubtful. "Nami wouldn't be too happy about it either, you know."

I threw my hands in the air, frustrated with the entire situation. "Why is it always up to them?" I asked loudly, stupefying both men again. "Can't I decide for myself, just once?" I rounded on Ussop and crouched down to bring us closer to eye level. He looked like he wanted to back away but held himself in place. Sighing in irritation I re-thought the request. "I wont touch the cannon," I improvised. "Just let me watch, alright? In case an opportunity comes up."

"An opportunity?" Ussop repeated slowly. "Don't you mean 'an unfortunate event'?"

"Yes," I agreed quickly, ignoring Franky's amused snort. "That's what I meant."

The sniper didn't believe me, I could tell by his expression, but after another moment he shrugged in a heavy manner and nodded once. "Alright," he agreed. "We'll show you how it's done. But you have to promise not to use it unless it's _completely_ necessary."

I nodded a little too enthusiastically and he gave me a stern look.

"I mean it, Renna."

"I promise," I said. Looking over at the cyborg I added, "And I wont say anything, either."

"Fine," Ussop stood up and I backed away to give him some space. "I'll load the cannon on the aft deck."

"Actually, Long Nose Bro," Franky started, looking at me and beginning a slow grin. "I've got a better idea."

* * *

><p>I studied the machine with curiosity, walking around it and looking at all the different parts, although I honestly had no idea what most of them were even used for. The thing itself was pretty interesting, though. It was about four feet tall and made of a strong but light-weight metal, looking a little skeletal since they hadn't put the shell over it just yet. All in all, it was rather impressive work for being last-minute and built in one night.<p>

At Franky's insistence Ussop had helped him build an entirely different kind of weapon, like a cannon but not as bulky or loud. It would shoot long metal spikes instead of cannonballs and was light enough for me to move around by myself using the wheels on the bottom of it. I wasn't completely sure how they had done it, as I had fallen asleep some time during its construction, curled in the corner of the work room under one of Franky's hideous flowery shirts, but they had worked straight through the night to make it for me and I was extremely grateful to the both of them.

"Here it is," Franky said proudly as he watched me inspect the weapon. "A _super _shot, cola powered, Renna-sized cannon. What do you think? Should we give it a nice paint job, too?"

"Maybe," I grinned at him. "But let's have breakfast first. It must be close to that time by now." I looked from him to the sniper. "Thank you, guys."

"Not a big deal," Franky shrugged. He stretched his massive arms, probably more out of habit than any real need to flex stiffness from any muscle left in them, and pointed to the ceiling. "But yeah, I'm sure you're pretty hungry by now. Let's go see if Cook Bro is up and moving yet."

I agreed and he led the way to the stairs with Ussop and myself following. Ussop sighed and pulled his work bandana from his head as we left the room, muttering under his breath, "I am _so_ dead."

* * *

><p>Sanji was indeed already awake and breakfast that morning was loud and messy, signifying the fact that the crew had gone back to their normal habits even with Zoro still out of commission. Well, normal for this group, anyway.<p>

After Sanji had cleared the table and Ussop had gone to take a nap, I left for the deck with Robin, Brook and Chopper, staying by the kitchen door as the other three made their way across the grass to the fore deck to do something or other together. Luffy was up in the observation room and Nami and Syla stayed in the kitchen with the cook.

Franky returned to the work room to put the rest of the cannon together. Neither inventor had mentioned the project during breakfast, probably still a little afraid of what Nami would say if she found out, and I didn't enlighten the others, either. I wanted to at least get a chance to fire it before it was confiscated.

I took a deep breath of fresh air, wondering if I should join the cyborg below deck for awhile, when I looked over to see Zoro walking around the corner and into my line of sight. He was still heavily bandaged, the top of his yukata hanging around his waist and held up by the red sash, but if he was feeling any pain he hid it well.

Zoro paused for a fraction of a second when he saw me standing at the rail and moved to lean on the wood a few feet away. "You're not gonna start throwing things again, are you?" he asked.

"You deserved it," I replied, turned away to avoid looking at him. "Should you even be up yet?"

"I'll be fine," he shrugged casually, although the movement was much more mild than it would have been without his current injuries. "I've had worse."

"Yeah, I know," I answered automatically and out of the corner of my eye saw Zoro turn his head toward me with a sharp gaze.

"Why'd you attack me, then?" he demanded. "You said before that you've watched a lot of our fights, so why were you so angry when I got hit?"

"Because there is a _difference!_" I snapped. I turned to face him fully, one hand gripping the white rail in irritation. "I guess I didn't realize before that you could be so damned reckless!"

"Protecting my crew is not being reckless!" Zoro argued back. "It's part of my duty on this ship and to my captain!"

"I know that!" The fingers around the railing next to me tightened painfully. He still didn't understand why I was so angry with him. "But like I've already told Nami, I'm not part of your-"

"_Stop!_" Zoro snarled. "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Renna! What would Luffy think if he heard you say something like that?"

I took a step back in surprise at the sudden vehemence in his voice. Sure, I had irritated him before with our almost perpetual arguing, but I had never heard that specific tone from him while he was talking to me.

"He considers you to be just as much a part of this crew as any of us!" Zoro continued, although with a little less force. "Are you really going to blow that off like it's nothing?"

I met his glare for several seconds as my anger with the bull-headed swordsman lessened by degrees until eventually I sighed. "Of course I wouldn't do that," I turned away to look out across the deck of the Sunny. "Especially not to Luffy. But I don't get it. Why?" I shot a sideways glance to Zoro. "I haven't done anything but cause trouble for him, and the rest of you."

"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "You're a stubborn pain in the ass, no getting around that. But," he went on before I could remind him of the hypocrisy in that sentence, "most of this crew is, in their own different ways."

I huffed in annoyance at the insult but my resolve was already crumbling. Obviously he had found the weak spot I was barely aware even existed until recently, and was utilizing it quite successfully. "I can't even fight," I reminded him in a half-hearted tone.

Zoro shrugged again. "That's what we're here for, isn't it?"

"But-"

"Just give it up, will you?" The swordsman shook his head. "Damn it, you really are stubborn sometimes."

"Says the guy who threw himself at a human bomb," I replied dryly. "Twice. And is now walking around like nothing happened." I looked him over again, noting the way he was leaning heavily on the railing. "Will you at least sit down? You're making me nervous."

Zoro growled at me but moved to the other side of the wide walkway, sliding down until he was sitting against the wall. "Happy?"

I raised both eyebrows in surprise. He really must have been hurting if he hadn't even put up a fight about it. I sighed and walked over to sit a few feet away from him. "What are you doing out here, anyway?" I asked.

Before Zoro could answer my question the kitchen door opened and Syla came out onto the deck, her eyes moving immediately to where we sat on the wood. She didn't say anything right away as she frowned in thought at the both of us and closed the door behind her.

"The hell do you want?" Zoro rumbled. I hissed at him to be a bit more civil and turned back to Syla.

"Your cook was concerned about the shouting," Syla answered calmly. "He and the girl seem to think you should not be out of bed just yet."

"Tell them to piss off," Zoro scowled at her over my head. "It's not their damn business."

"Zoro, stop that," I said quietly. "They're just worried, is all. We don't have much time before Shogun shows up again and you're not exactly putting much effort into healing when you're wandering around outside."

"I already told you, I'm fine," Zoro looked away from Syla to frown at me. "I'll still be able to guard you when we get there."

"Not the point!" I snapped, irritated once again. Seriously, how dense was he?

Zoro gave me a blank stare. "I don't get you," he said.

"You don't get a lot of things," I corrected him. I heard Syla give a light snort and we both turned to look up at her. I had almost forgotten she was even there.

"What's funny?" Zoro asked, and I could hear the disapproving frown in his tone.

"The similarities are quite amusing," Syla explained.

"We are _not_ similar," both of us protested in unison, then glared at each other before looking away again. I admit it probably would have been comical if it wasn't myself and the swordsman. For me it was just annoying.

Syla gave us a light smile. "If you say so," she said. "But really Zoro, Haeven is right. I doubt our next meeting with Shogun will be so simple as the last one. You could be in more danger than necessary if you don't allow your body to recover a little more."

"What do you care?" Zoro scoffed. "You didn't seem all that concerned with people's lives the last time I saw you."

Syla stopped smiling and studied Zoro with a considering look. "What do you mean?"

"The galleons," Zoro answered. His voice had become nothing but a low, menacing growl. "You murdered three hundred people like it was the easiest thing in the world. Don't even try to deny it, either. I watched you do it."

I swung my head around to look at Zoro warily, nearly shrinking away at the hard, piercing glint in his eye, and turned back to Syla as she began to speak again.

"Yes, back in the East Blue," she acknowledged without any expression . "I don't deny it."

Zoro made a furious growling sound and moved one leg underneath him to stand slowly, his hand against the wall. "And Luffy still thinks he can trust you," he said. "Has even let you on our ship, because he doesn't know how _dangerous _and _insane_ you really are! He didn't see you take out those ships without so much as blinking, and _in one hit!_" Zoro's rant ended in an enraged yell, snarling fiercely at the girl standing only a few feet from us.

I got to my feet even more slowly than Zoro, now trapped between the angry swordsman and the eerily calm dragon and searching for a way out. I definitely didn't want to be caught in the middle of them if a fight broke out and especially after what Zoro had just revealed. Apparently Syla was more powerful than I had previously given her credit for. It made me more than a little nervous.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Syla said. She was frowning deeply now, hands beginning to curl at her sides. "Do you really think I would attack like that without knowing in absolute certainty they were the enemy?"

"That's a load of shit!" Zoro spat. "Those galleons weren't even flying any colors!"

"Of course they weren't, you blind _fool!_" Syla shouted, finally becoming frustrated and raising her voice for the first time since the accusation had begun. "They were _Don Kreig's _men! And they were also on course for that island, and for _you! _I wasn't about to do nothing when they had every intention of destroying the entire area!"

"Then why the hell didn't you say anything!" Zoro shouted back at her. "If that's the truth, why wouldn't you have come back and told me, instead of just disappearing without a word!"

I started to slink along the wall past Zoro but he put out an arm to stop me, moving it almost immediately to my other side to shield me from Syla. I thought about ducking away from him and scurrying to the other side of the ship despite his silent order to stay where I was, but all thought of escape fled my mind as Syla continued.

"I did _not_ disappear!" She yelled, sounding angry and frustrated. "I couldn't move!"

I felt Zoro's arm, now pressed to my shoulder, tense into a hard line of muscle and he hissed in disbelief. "What are you talking about," he said quietly, still glaring at the dragon girl.

"I couldn't move," Syla said again. "And if you hadn't been so intent on thinking of me as a cold-blooded murderer, you would have known why by now!" Her voice was shaking slightly as she began to truly lose control, her green eyes reflecting the sun and sparking in anger. "The Thousand Year Surge is draining, you _know_ that!" She shook her head furiously when Zoro made a startled noise. "I waited for you on the shore for three days, unable to so much as walk back to our camp, but you never came to get me." Syla's lip curled back in a snarl as she yelled in Zoro's face. "You think _I_ am heartless but you are the one who _left me to die!_"

Zoro let out a long breath and I looked from him to Syla, not quite brave enough to speak just yet.

"The Thousand Year Surge," he repeated. "You really are insane." Then he turned without warning and walked away, around the corner of the wall and out of sight.

Syla didn't so much as glance at me as she opened the door to the kitchen and moved inside without another word, closing it behind her with a loud click.

I stood on the deck for several minutes, frozen in shock. Although I had thought before that something might be missing from what I knew of that part of their history, I never would have guessed it was actually Zoro's fault they had separated. He had seen her do something unexpected and violent, never considering there might have been more to what he had witnessed than just the supposed instability of a dragon, and had left her where she was without waiting for an explanation of any kind. Or even attempting to find her again, apparently.

I couldn't work out why he would do such a thing, except for the thought that maybe he had never fully trusted her in the first place, although his actions a moment ago were easier to understand. He was feeling guilty, and most likely on an epic scale. I couldn't really bring myself to feel more than just a bit sorry for him but I did hope he wouldn't do anything too stupid.

Sighing and rubbing the heel of my palm into my eye in frustration, I walked toward the stairs and made my way toward Franky and Ussop's work room. Maybe firing a large and dangerous weapon a few times would help me forget everything I had just heard.


	14. Chapter 14

A shorter chapter this time. Should be a little longer next update, though.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Mild Language.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>I met Franky on the stairs coming out of the work room and had to backtrack quickly to avoid being run over by his hulking metal body. I stopped once we were outside again and turned to see him holding my new cannon on one shoulder and grinning widely at me.<p>

"Ready to try it out, Sis?" he asked.

"Definitely," I nodded, and followed him up to the end of the aft deck.

Franky set the cannon on the wood and made a few small adjustments here and there while I looked over the new shell and paint job decorating the top of it. The picture, although slightly elongated because of the shape of the weapon, looked suspiciously like…

"Is that a mermaid?" I snickered. It seemed like it could possibly be one if I tilted my head to one side and crossed my eyes. Really, it looked more like a pink walrus wearing a wig than anything, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying this out loud. Franky was much more sensitive than he appeared to be.

"Of course not," the cyborg raised his head and shot another grin my way. "That, little Sis, is a _Super_ Straw Hat Haeven Renna Mermaid. Franky style. You like it?"

"That's me?" I asked, open-mouthed. He could _not _be serious. Since when did my head look like a zeppelin?

"Yeah," Franky nodded proudly. "It's not done yet, though. I'll ask Long Nose to help me with the finishing touches later."

_And hopefully save whatever dignity my poor cannon has left, _I added silently. Still, if the thing worked well, who was I to complain about how it looked?

Franky stepped back and motioned with one enormous hand for me to stand behind the cannon. I did, and he launched into a long and complicated explanation about aiming the spikes using the many levers protruding from the back of the weapon.

"What?" I asked when he was finished.

Franky laughed and crouched down once again to point at each lever in turn. "This is to move right," he started again, "this one's for left. And these are up and down. The two over here are for adjusting the force of the shot." He opened the door in his abdomen and pulled out an entire pile of long, polished stakes, removing the side panel of the cannon to set them inside the ammunition compartment. "We're gonna start out with some cheap wood for ammo, then a couple of the real things when you've got the hang of it. Got it?"

I nodded, feeling a little nervous now that I was about to actually do it. "Yeah, I got it."

"Alright, Sis," the cyborg stepped back once more. "Go for it."

I put my hands on the top lever to adjust the height of the barrel and reached for the huge red button in the middle of the controls. I punched it down and felt the cannon shoot back with a loud cracking sound and enough force to throw me to the deck. I landed ungracefully on the hard surface, hitting my hip and elbows painfully. "Ow."

"Renna!" Franky darted forward to kneel next to me. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, rubbing at my sore elbow. "I didn't expect it to pack such a punch, though."

"I'll get some blocks for the wheels," Franky suggested as he lifted the cannon easily to look under it. "That should fix the kick-back problem. You sure you're alright? We don't have to do this, you know."

"I'm alright, Franky," I assured him. "And I want to learn, really."

"Well, take it easy then, 'kay Sis?" Franky set the cannon down again and turned back to me. "These things can be dangerous, after all."

"I'll be more careful," I said. "Besides you and Ussop worked hard to make it, I'm not going to waste it. Even if it is putting up a good fight right now."

Glaring at the traitorous cannon I heard a low snort from somewhere far behind us and turned to see Zoro, sitting with his back to the opposite railing and watching carefully. His arms were folded across his bandaged chest and he had apparently retrieved his katana at some point, as all three of them lay on the floor beside him. I lifted my eyebrows at the swordsman in surprise, having not even realized he was on the deck with us.

Franky had followed my line of vision and tensed as he spotted Zoro. "Oh, hey Sword Bro," he started nervously. "What brings you out here?"

"Entertainment," Zoro shrugged.

"Hey!" I protested. "I've never fired one before, alright?"

"That's pretty obvious," the green-haired annoyance smirked. "You're already doin' it wrong."

"So now you're an expert on cannons?" I snapped. "If you're not going to be helpful then at least just sit there and be quiet." I turned away from Zoro and stood up, looking at Franky. "Forget the blocks," I said decidedly. "I can do this without them."

"Don't be rash," Zoro warned.

I ignored him and stepped forward to grab the levers again, leaving more distance between myself and the cannon for this round.

"You've still got it wrong," Zoro called out. "Move your feet apart. One just further back than the other."

I grit my teeth to hold back from telling him to shut his mouth, but did as he instructed anyway. I reached for the button a second time.

"Shoulders back," the swordsman drawled. "And relax, or you're gonna get knocked over again."

I whipped around to glare at him. "Do you want to just do this yourself, or will you let me fire it without interrupting?"

"Hey, you said to be helpful or shut up," Zoro shrugged. "So I'm being helpful."

I turned away with another scowl and focused on the cannon again. He actually _was_ being helpful, the monster. Maybe he had hit his head harder than we had thought. I looked over at Franky, who had been quiet during my squabble with Zoro, and the cyborg nodded in approval at the other man's instructions.

Taking a deep breath I adjusted my hold and hit the button again.

The cannon shot backward with another sharp crack and, despite my efforts to remain standing, knocked me over once more. Before I could hit the deck a second time I felt several hands along my back and shoulders, stopping my descent. Franky took my wrists in a gentle hold to pull me to my feet and the hands underneath me vanished in a faint pink glare.

I looked over to see Robin standing by the stairs, smiling lightly. "Thanks," I nodded to her.

"Any time," she answered. "And maybe blocks wouldn't be such a bad idea."

_Sneaky spy,_ I thought without any venom. No doubt she had been listening in for awhile. Nodding in resignation I watched as Franky moved past me and down the stairs Robin had just walked up seconds before.

"I'll be right back," he said. "Don't fire it without me, 'kay?"

Robin gave me an encouraging smile and turned to follow the cyborg, leaving me alone on the aft deck with Zoro.

I sighed and walked over to the railing to stand next to him, looking down at the waves rolling against the side of the Sunny. There was hardly a cloud in the sky today, although I knew that could change in an instant. A lot like the people on this ship, I mused.

"Don't," Zoro said suddenly.

I turned my head to look down at him. "Don't what?"

"Don't worry about me," he answered. "Or Syla. It's fine."

"Who said I was worried?" I frowned.

"You are, I can tell." Zoro finally tilted his head to meet my gaze. "But don't be. I'm still not going to like her, not really, but now I know what actually happened on that island. It's enough to at least know I won't have to constantly keep an eye on her." He turned back away from me and closed his eye, one hand resting across his katana.

"I guess so," I shrugged. "But why did you leave her there in the first place?" It seemed like such a cold thing to do. Zoro could be harsh sometimes, but he still had a good sense of empathy, as far as I could tell.

Zoro sighed before answering, "I was surprised, is all. Hadn't ever seen her do anything like that before, and it didn't sit well with me." He paused for a moment. "I guess I thought there was more dragon in her than anyone had known about before that."

"You didn't trust her," I said simply. "Even back then."

"No, I didn't," Zoro agreed. "We both had our own motives and goals from the beginning, so it was easy to keep a distance. But I didn't really trust anyone until I met Luffy."

I couldn't say I was very surprised by the confession itself, but the fact that he was telling me this was a bit startling. Maybe that sedative was still in his system, as unlikely as it seemed.

We both remained silent for the next several minutes until Franky came back and my 'training' began again.

* * *

><p>It took a couple of hours but eventually I started to get the hang of not being knocked on my ass every time I fired the damn thing. The blocks on the wheels helped hold it in place, although if I did have to move it they would only end up being a hindrance, and I continued to work on the footing instructions and holds on the levers that Zoro growled out once in a while from where he still sat by the railing.<p>

After the first hour Luffy came down from the observation room to watch and cheer at random intervals and the noise had eventually attracted Chopper and Nami as well. The latter two arrived on the aft deck just as I executed a nearly perfect aiming and firing move. When the navigator had opened her mouth to chide Franky for letting me use a cannon, Zoro had immediately cut her off.

"Leave them alone, sea witch," he growled, eyes closed. "She's gotta learn some time. She'll be fine."

Nami had turned her glare onto the swordsman but didn't say anything against the cannon after that.

"Seven seconds!" Franky called out. "Still a little slow, but you're getting there." He had gone from explaining the shot ranges to me to timing each firing round until I could do it even with him bellowing next to my head. "You want to try the real ones now?"

I nodded and watched as Franky replaced the wooden ammunition with deadly-looking, metal spikes.

"It's gonna kick harder from here on out," he explained. "These are a lot heavier than the last ones."

"Alright," I said in acknowledgement and set my hands on the levers again to adjust the height of the projectiles. "Is this better?"

"It's _super_, little Sis," Franky said with a wide grin. "Go for it."

He had definitely been correct about the cannon's force, I thought as I had to let go of the levers and jumped back out of the way of the big weapon to avoid being run over by it. The wheels knocked against the blocks and nearly rolled over them before coming to a halt again as Franky reached out and planted one hand on the top of the cannon to stop it.

"Whoa," Ussop said from behind us. "Might need a little recalibrating, after all."

I looked over to where the sniper now stood next to Luffy and grinned. "I've got it down now. See?"

"Yeah," Ussop agreed. "But the last thing we want is for you to be crushed by your own cannon if you have to fire it in a real situation." He walked over to us and launched into a conversation of mechanics with Franky while I attempted to massage some life back into my numb arms.

With the two inventors distracted, Nami made her way to where I stood and studied the cannon with an air of suspicion. I watched her, a bit nervous as I waited for her reaction, but after a moment she smiled and shook her head.

"Well," she said. "I guess this beats learning sword fighting or something even more dangerous. At least you might be better protected this way, too."

Zoro's grumble of annoyance toward the slight on his lifestyle was ignored as I answered. "I can use this thing and still stay back at the same time, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?" I again waited for her reply, already feeling a little better at her lack of anger toward her crew mates about not only letting a rookie use a cannon, but building one for her as well. It was something, at least.

"Hopefully it wont come to that," Nami frowned a little. "But yeah, I suppose this kind of skill could be useful at some point. For now, lets just let those two work on it some more, so you don't end up covered in bruises just from firing it."

"That sounds good," I agreed as Sanji's voice called up to us to come to the kitchen for a pre-lunch snack.

We all made our way to the galley, Franky and I waiting a moment for Zoro to catch up to us as he had fallen asleep at some point, and sat down with Chopper, Syla and Brook at the long table. Zoro and Syla sat on opposite ends, not looking at each other, and Robin remained outside to keep watch, just in case we ran into anything nasty.

A half hour later Sanji was clearing away the empty glasses and Luffy, Chopper and I were discussing my new weapon when a mouth and ear appeared on the wall above the table.

"We may have a slight problem," the disembodied mouth said in Robin's mild voice.

"What is it?" Nami asked as all talk at the table died down instantly.

"Well," Robin's voice held a bit of a resigned tone to it as she explained. "There seems to be a quite large creature heading for the ship at the moment. Oh, and it also seems to be glowing."

I heard Syla hiss angrily as she leapt from her seat. The rest of the crew followed her example when she growled fiercely before running toward the door. "Shogun."

I sat still as Sanji and Zoro disappeared last, one hand still on my plate of cake.

Well, crap.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the slow update, been shorted on free time recently. And I suppose I should also apologize if I've completely butchered some of the attack names in this one (seems likely) as they do tend to vary slightly from one translation to the other. Other than that...Yay! Fighting!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Renna, Syla and Shogun.

Warnings: Language

Enjoy!

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><p><em>Shogun is here,<em> I thought numbly, still sitting at the table as the inevitable shouting and snarling from the crew, plus Syla, began out on the deck. _Shogun is _here?_ What the hell?_

Nami had said he would be at the next island. And yet here he was, almost two days ahead of the navigator's predictions. But, I supposed, predicting the movements of a half-mad demon god was a lot like predicting the movements of someone like Luffy. Pretty much impossible.

I stared down at the table top, not actually seeing it, trying to decide if I should stay where I was or, although I really didn't want to, go out on the deck. My decision was made for me when something hit the side of the Sunny, throwing me backward and clear out of my chair. I scooted quickly and reflexively under the table. Definitely not going outside, then. Seemed like it might end in a very bad day.

But as I crouched under the heavy piece of furniture, I thought again about what I had told the sniper just the day before: _I want to help!_

Yes, I did in fact want to contribute as much as I could to the people who had already protected me on more than one occasion. Did I want to be blown up in the process? Not really.

Yet the longer I sat motionless under the table, the more an urge to at least see what was going on outside grew in my head, and before I could reconsider my actions I found myself sliding out between the chairs and bolting for the door, just as another hit to the ship sent me bouncing off the wall instead. My hands caught most of the impact but I still managed to smack my shoulder against the thick beam of wood next to the door, leaving yet another bruise.

"Shit!" I gasped. That hurt. Wondering again about what kind of super-human ability gave Zoro so much tolerance for pain when I myself could barely stand a paper cut, I eventually reached the door of the galley and flung it open.

I was reminded forcefully of the first time I had seen a Sea King with my own eyes, back on the Going Merry not an hour after finding myself in this strange, dangerous world. The shouts of the crew among the ordered chaos, the spraying of displaced water and the sheer volume of the enormous creature rising up from the ocean was almost nostalgic, in a heart-stopping and terrifying way.

Obviously, there were several differences: this ship was bigger than the Merry had been, and the crew were up two in number. They were also a lot stronger and, in some cases, much smarter. But, I realized within seconds of watching from the doorway in numb horror, so was the creature.

It towered over the Sunny menacingly, looking like a cross between Godzilla and Falcor, only with four pairs of arms and long, venomous-looking fangs protruding from a sharp snout. The iridescent glow coming from its slimy skin made it appear even more lethal, if that was even possible, and the bright and intelligent gleam in its yellow eyes was enough to freeze the breath in my lungs. This was not the average run-of-the-mill Sea King. This was something else entirely.

For one time-rendering moment I nearly gave up my resolve as reality slapped me in the face. Who was I kidding? I wasn't a fighter. Then I heard Luffy's voice, ringing out loud and clear over the deafening racket of the confrontation and my eyes immediately sought him out, although I was unable to find him through the spraying water:

"_You wont stop us!"_

As simple as those words were, I realized they were also very, very true. _No one _could stop Luffy, not when he had the entirety of his crew with him. Not when he was hell-bent on reaching his goal, and making sure every one of his crew members met theirs as well. He was so very nearly indestructible and I realized with another odd, almost surreal feeling that I was starting to trust the stretchy captain and his abilities almost as much as his crew did.

This new thought spurred my feet into action and I pushed away from the doorway with a renewed courage, or stupidity, I couldn't quite decide, making my way toward the aft deck. No one had moved the cannon yet, so I knew it would still be there, fully loaded. Also, I remembered as I managed to make it to the deck without incident, it hadn't been recalibrated yet, either. Which meant I could very likely be run over by it.

Deciding I could jump away if I had to, I ran to the cannon and pushed on the barrel as hard as I could, eventually managing to at least make it point in the direction of the fight. Stationing myself behind it as Zoro had instructed earlier, I finally looked around to take full stock of the current situation on the Sunny.

The huge creature was at the bow of the ship on the starboard side, rising up out of the ocean like an enormous, glowing mountain. It was swinging its many pairs of pale and talon-tipped arms toward the small figures below, aiming for the ship and roaring ever louder as each attempt to smash the Sunny was thwarted by the crew members swarming around it.

Robin was standing beside the mast with her arms crossed as dozens of disembodied hands and arms linked together over one of the creature's limbs, trapping it in place. Sanji and Chopper were jumping around from the ship's railing to the beast's shoulders and back again, landing several skin-piercing blows before retreating further up into the rigging. Franky, Nami and Ussop were hitting it simultaneously with rockets, lightning and fireballs and Brook was doing an excellent job of keeping the thing distracted long enough for the others to attack it.

I was still looking for Luffy, Zoro and Syla as I pulled the lever to adjust the height of the cannon barrel and took aim at the ugly creature's head. I was distracted from my shot by a sudden tingling coming from my front pocket. Tearing my eyes from the fight long enough to look down in confusion, I suddenly remembered the Vivre Card and gasped out loud. I pulled the Card from my pocket and felt my heart jump as I noticed a tiny bit of one corner appeared to have been burned away.

Zoro.

"Shit!" I hissed, scanning the area again. "Where are you, you damned nutcase?"

I spotted Luffy not a moment later. Or rather, Luffy's incredibly long arm just before the captain himself appeared, launching a full-out Elephant Gun attack straight into the monster's chest. It fell back to the water with an enraged roar, sending the Sunny tipping dangerously on tall waves, before shaking off the blow and concentrating it's attacks on Luffy.

Holy crap. That thing just withstood an _Elephant Gun_ attack. What the hell was it made of?

I cursed again as I tried to keep the small cannon from rolling too far away from me and came to the full realization that the beast was a lot stronger than I had first thought. Before now I had harbored no doubt that the crew would beat it quickly and we could continue on our way, as Shogun himself didn't actually appear to be along for the ride this time. But as I watched Luffy's body shrink from the after effects of his Gear Third and fall helplessly to the deck, I was beginning to wonder if we could even win this fight at all.

And where the hell was Zoro?

I watched for another moment as the beast's hand was deflected by Sanji as it reached for Luffy and Brook managed to catch the captain before he could actually hit the deck. Then I turned my focus back to the cannon. And fired.

By some miracle I actually managed to hit the bastard, striking a glancing blow across its snout with one of the heavy metal spikes. I watched from the deck, having had to leap aside after firing the cannon, as the beast shook its head in anger and turned piercing amber eyes toward me with a menacing snarl.

Oops. Didn't quite think that one through, did I?

I scrambled away across the deck as the weird, glowing monster made to move toward me, instead. "Ah!"

"_Seventy-Two Pound Cannon!_"

I immediately recognized the name of the attack and, after the displaced air above me had settled somewhat and the massive creature's angry roar died to a hiss, I raised my head and gasped in relief. Zoro was standing only a few feet away, a katana in each hand and breathing heavily. He was sporting several new injuries and seemed to be having some difficulty standing upright, which would explain the missing corner on his Vivre Card. Clearly, he was nearing his limit.

"Where have you been?" I asked as I pushed away from the deck to stand again. "What did you do?"

Zoro didn't answer as he pulled the white hilted katana from its sheath and set it firmly between his teeth. "Don't attract its attention," he growled, sounding half-exhausted. "Go back inside."

"I doubt I'll be able to get there now," I admitted. It was true. My path back to the galley was being blocked by the dangerous fray in front of us.

"Then stay out of the way," Zoro walked past me without a glance, raising his blades as he approached the other side of the deck.

I wanted to grab his arm, to stop him from attacking such a formidable enemy when he was already injured so badly, but my arms didn't seem to want to cooperate. Instead I watched him move into an offensive stance, resisting the urge to run to the railing and push him over the edge, not that I could actually manage it even if I tried. But still… The idiot really was going to get himself killed this time if he went through with whatever hair-brained idea he was cooking up at the moment.

"Zoro-" I started, knowing he wouldn't listen anyway, and stopped myself as Nami's commanding tones cut across the ship from the main deck.

"Everyone at once! Aim for its heart!"

"If it has one!" Ussop put in. He was now standing on the roof of the lookout room, Kabuto steady in his hand.

"Just do it!" Nami answered. "Robin, hold onto it for as long as you can, give us a clear shot, then get out of the way!"

I stood frozen on the aft deck as Zoro backed down from the railing and changed his stance. I supposed with the others attacking he couldn't safely jump at the beast without the potential of getting hit by friendly fire.

I finally realized I had been gawking for several seconds and forced myself to snap out of my confused state. _Why am I just standing here? _I thought angrily, running to the cannon and wrestling it back into position. The weapon may have been light-weight for Franky, but it was still quite a struggle for me.

I adjusted the barrel as the crew began shouting several attack names all at the same time:

"_Sure Kill: Firebird Star!_"

"_Devil's Leg: Colliere Shoot!_"

"_Thunder Tempo!_"

"_Left Cannon: Maximum!_"

"_Arrow Notch Strike!_"

"_One Hundred and Eight Pound Cannon!_"

As I listened to each attack I had the insane, almost giddy urge to name my cannon shots as well, but quickly forgot about the idea as a call I had never heard before rang out, mixing with the voices of the Straw Hats at the same moment my hand came down on the red button.

"_Thousand Year Surge- Wind Dragon: Scythe!_"

Oh, for Pete's sake. She did _not _just do that.

I was so startled by the sound of Syla's apparently-suicidal attack that I let the cannon knock into my legs, bruising both knees and forcing me back onto the deck. Staring over the round metal shell I watched as the creature was hit first with two giant fireballs, then lightning, a cannonball, a couple of invisible but deadly slices and lastly something that arched out horizontally and left a blinding trail of green light in its wake. The result of the combined attacks was a nearly deafening blast of light and sound which forced me flat on my back and made my ears ring, followed by the decreasingly audible snarls of the monster.

Shaking my head to clear it I pushed myself to my feet, helped along by the adrenaline pumping through my body, and attempted to see where Syla had no doubt collapsed, hoping she hadn't fallen over-board. Or been killed by her own attack.

Zoro seemed to be thinking along a similar line as he bolted toward the stairs as quickly as his tattered body would allow, heading to the place where Syla had most likely been standing out of my line of sight on the main deck. He set his foot down on the first stair at the same time I looked up and saw the creature, now obviously either dead or very near to it, falling down toward the deck directly above me. I screamed.

Zoro didn't even bother to look as he pushed off from the wood and leaped backward to swing out with all three katana, howling loudly as the force of the movement no doubt caused him a great deal of pain. His blades connected with the body of the beast and managed to change its course mid-fall to land in the ocean instead. He didn't quite make it out of the way of the huge talons though as one of the arms swung around when the monster's corpse twisted in the air, catching Zoro square in the abdomen and throwing him to the deck behind me.

I was across the deck and at his side faster than I had though possible._ Don't be dead!_ I told him silently, cursing out loud as I approached. "Shit! Zoro!"

The swordsman wasn't moving. He was laying face-down on the deck, his three katana at his sides.

"Hey!" I knelt down next to him, one hand hovering over his prone form as I tried to find a place to touch him without causing any more damage. I eventually settled for his shoulder and applied a tiny amount of pressure. "Zoro! Hey, answer me! Are you still alive? Zoro! _Zoro!_"

"Dammit woman, I heard you."

The reply was not much more than a low, muffled rumble but it was all I needed to know he was still kicking, at least. I sat back with a shaky breath. "Say something sooner!" I snapped. "I thought you were dead!"

Zoro rolled over onto his back with a low groan. He didn't appear to have taken as much damage as I originally thought he had but the wounds from the previous island had broken open again, staining the bandages under his yukata a dark red. I was about to turn and yell for Chopper when Zoro looked up at me and growled.

"Why the hell were you fighting?" he demanded angrily. "I told you before Renna, stay back or you're gonna get yourself killed!"

I stared back down at him for several seconds, at the stained bandages and the shallow gashes and bruises that covered most of his visible skin and, to my own surprise and horror, I burst into tears.

"Hey!" Zoro protested immediately, raising one hand as if to fend me off. He winced and lowered it hastily. "What are you doing? Stop that!" His tone had changed to one of worry and discomfort and I would have laughed at him if I hadn't been bawling like a certain cyborg.

I covered my face with both hands as the stress and fear from the fight poured out of me and I sat down fully on the deck next to the swordsman. A moment later I felt him rap his knuckles lightly against my knee to get my attention.

"It's okay," he said firmly, still with an underlying nervousness in his voice. Apparently dealing with crying girls wasn't really on the top of his list of skills. "Calm down. Take a breath."

I did as he said but didn't lower my hands.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

I shook my head and heard him exhale sharply.

"Then why the hell are you crying?" Even without looking at him I could practically see the confused frown on his face.

_Why was I crying? _I thought angrily._ Why was I-_

"You're such an idiot!" I bawled and finally lowered my hands as several different sets of footsteps thundered across the deck behind us. Zoro's frown deepened for a fraction of a second before his gaze moved above my shoulder instead and he sighed in resignation. A moment later I understood why.

"Zoro! Renna!" Chopper called out.

I quickly wiped my eyes on the back of my hand before turning around. "I'm fine, Chopper," I answered. "Better do something about this guy, though."

Chopper moved to Zoro's other side and carefully picked him up from the deck, having conveniently still been in Heavy Point. I listened to Zoro complain nearly non-stop about being carted around like an infant while Chopper studiously ignored him until the two of them were down the stairs and out of sight. Then I looked around at the gathered crew.

Brook was carrying the mini, unconscious Luffy in his bony hands and Robin was supporting a worn-looking Syla, one arm under the shorter woman's shoulders. I was relieved to see that Syla didn't appear to have suffered any long standing damage from her attack. It was more than likely that she too had gotten stronger since the last time Zoro had seen her.

Nami and Ussop looked tired but no worse for wear. Sanji and Franky had sustained only minor injuries, although the cook was still favoring the leg he had damaged in the last fight, back on that horrible island. The cyborg was beaming as he looked down at me.

"That was one Super shot, Little Sis," he grinned.

"What do you mean?" I asked, still feeling a little dazed from the fight.

"Maybe you didn't see it while your life was flashing before your eyes," Nami put in. "But that last shot definitely hit home." She was smiling cheekily, one hand on her hip and the other holding her Clima Tact.

"Right through the eye," Sanji nodded. "Pretty good hit, actually. Keep practicing with that thing my dear and you'll likely give Ussop a run for his money some day."

I had hit it again? Well, that was a surprise. "It was a lucky shot," I mumbled. "Not a lot of aim involved. Besides, you guys had already taken it down by the time I had even fired."

"Give credit where it's due," Ussop said seriously. "You did what you had wanted to do; you helped us fight that monster." He smiled suddenly. "Well done, Renna. Although I doubt you'll really ever be as good as me." He stuck his long nose in the air when Sanji glared at him, as if daring the cook to disagree.

"That doesn't mean you'll be fighting again," Nami said sternly as the two men continued their staring contest beside her. "Almost being smashed into the deck by a twenty ton mystery beast was a little too close of a call. It was a good thing Zoro was up here as well, or there would have been nothing left of you."

I nodded in agreement and got shakily to my feet with the sniper's help, as he had apparently given up on the silent argument with Sanji in favor of making sure I didn't fall over. That was the excuse I was going to give him, anyway.

"Yeah," I said. "I think I might stick with staying out of sight from now on." I forced another small smile at Ussop as he patted my shoulder in an encouraging gesture.

"Come on," Sanji tilted his head toward the stairs and gestured for the crew to follow him. "I doubt that shitty monster will be coming back, so let's have something to drink and rest while we still can."

That sounded like a perfectly logical plan. I followed the crew down to the galley, looking back at the cannon once before descending the stairs. I wondered if I could somehow bring the weapon back with me when I returned home. _If_ I returned home, I reminded myself. It seemed a little bit unlikely to be so lucky a second time.

Brook set Luffy down on the long bench next to the kitchen and Robin eased Syla into a chair at the table before taking a seat next to her. Sanji, doing his best to hide the pain in his leg, began moving around by the counter to prepare various beverages for everyone.

I wasn't really paying attention to much around me as I sat myself between Franky and Syla, listening to the Straw Hats congratulating each other on the well-deserved victory and simultaneously beginning the plans for the next island. Nami was thanking Syla for her assistance in the final attack, saying it would have been much more difficult without her, and Ussop was recounting how he had heroically stopped the beast from taking the entire lookout room clean off the mast, and wouldn't Zoro be pleased about the rescue of his precious weight room?

Within minutes most of the table was laughing, smiling or cheering and the sounds were infectious, not to mention surprising.

Even with their captain and swordsman so drained, and unconscious in Luffy's case, the spirits of the Straw Hats were as strong as ever.

I kind of envied that part of this tight-knit group, to be able to bounce back so immediately from the impossible and prove the world wrong again and again with nearly everything they did, every obstacle they put behind them. With this kind of force backing them up I had no doubt that each member of this crew would reach their respective goals, no matter how long it took for them to do it.

I also realized that I had my own goal now, although mine was starting to look even more lofty than Luffy's at this point. If this whole mess wasn't resolved soon, I mused as I accepted the glass of orange liquid Sanji was holding out to me, I doubted I would ever see my own world again. The thought didn't bother me half as much as it should have.

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><p>AN: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story or added it to alerts or favorites so far! You guys really keep me going (even when it doesn't seem like it) and I _really_ appreciate the time you take to read my nonsense-disguised-as-a-story. Thank you!


	16. Chapter 16

Finally! Sorry its been taking so long to update this story, it just really seems to hate me lately.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Warnings: Mild Language.

Enjoy!

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><p>Sanji attempted to serve lunch while we all sat in the kitchen, although no one was very hungry and only ate to avoid irritating the injured cook.<p>

Several of the crew members had already tried to convince him to go to the medical room but he had waved them away, insisting to the women that their own personal knight could never be brought down so easily and telling the men to either keep quiet or be kicked in the teeth.

His efforts to remain in his domain turned out to be all for nothing however, as Chopper stormed in an hour after lunch and threatened him with a syringe of tranquilizing liquid if he didn't follow the doctor to the medical room _immediately_.

I snorted in amusement and Chopper, now back in his smaller form, turned a hoof on me in a manner that would have been threatening if the little reindeer weren't so damn adorable.

"You're next, Renna," he warned. "I still need to make sure none of those cuts of yours will be infected, especially since your body isn't used to the climates of the Grand Line."

I knew from the professional tone of his voice that I wouldn't win any arguments and simply sighed in defeat. "You're the doctor," I shrugged.

For some reason my cooperation seemed to calm Sanji's annoyance and he followed Chopper out of the kitchen, grumbling a little more quietly than he had been before. Maybe he just didn't feel like he was being singled out anymore, I thought, although I had a little trouble believing something like that would ever bother Black Leg Sanji to begin with. More than likely, he had just decided to demonstrate his valor in a slightly different way than he had originally planned.

I watched in mild amusement as the door closed behind the two, then looked over when Nami reached across Franky's huge arm to tap me on the wrist.

"You sure you're alright?" she asked. "I mean, I know you're not used to fighting and you're not nearly as strong as the rest of us, so…" She trailed off, giving me a half-apologetic look.

I smiled to let her know that I wasn't offended and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Scared the hell out of me but I'm not hurt. Not really."

"I suppose the swordsman is to thank for that," Robin mused from across the table.

"He hasn't changed much," Syla added quietly. She gave a wry smile when I turned to look at where she sat very still next to me.

"You've said that before," I noted. "What do you mean?"

"He is what he is," Syla shrugged as she swirled the remainder of her drink in the tall glass. "No more, no less."

"A grumpy pain in the ass?" I suggested in a falsely light tone.

Ussop and Franky snorted into their drinks as Nami grinned and Robin smiled in that polite way of hers. Brook 'yohoho'-ed loudly and slapped a bony hand onto the table with mirth, his reaction much less subtle than the other's.

"A protector," Syla corrected me gently. She was still looking very drained, but the little bit of color she possessed had already returned to her pale cheeks. "I doubt he even does it consciously most of the time, it's probably just in his nature to do so."

"Meaning he has all the self-preservation instincts of a particularly suicidal lemming?" I asked, still not quite able to resist poking at the swordsman a bit. "The guy _still_ hasn't learned to dodge anything short of a falling _battleship_."

"That's probably quite true," Syla agreed with a small grimace. "I was a bit surprised to see he was still alive, although after meeting the rest of you Straw Hats, the reason as to _why_ has become much more clear now."

"Lucky for him," I added dryly.

"You must really care about him," Nami observed. She was leaning her elbow on the table, chin resting in the palm of her hand.

I was waiting for Syla to reply before I realized that the navigator was talking to _me_. "What?"

"I said you must care about him," Nami repeated patiently. "Zoro, that is."

"Uhm," I answered intelligently. "Why would you think that?"

I could feel all eyes at the table on me as Nami sat back in her chair and grinned, wearing an expression that said she knew something I didn't and was more than happy to share this information. "Because," she started easily. "You've had Zoro's Card in your hand ever since Robin mentioned him."

"_What?_" My eyebrows shot up in surprise as I looked down at my right hand. Sure enough, the small piece of paper was clamped tightly between my fingers where they sat on the table. I huffed in irritation with myself and stuck the Card back in my pocket, but not before noticing that the missing corner had somehow reappeared. "I just wanted to make sure," I grumbled.

"Chopper came in here," Luffy said, sitting up very suddenly on the bench and making me jump in alarm at his unannounced consciousness. The rubber man didn't seem to notice my reaction as he tilted his head and looked over at me with an unusually alert gaze.

Apparently the crew were not as surprised as I was by the sudden size change and energy boost in their captain, as none of them so much as twitched at the unexpected input in the conversation. Not even Brook, who was probably the most easily startled of the Straw Hats, gave any more acknowledgement than a polite head nod toward where Luffy now perched a few feet from the table.

"What?" I said again. I was beginning to wonder if my brain was even functioning properly at the moment. Especially after Nami's recent observation.

"Chopper came in here." Luffy repeated. He stood and stretched his arms above his head before bouncing over to the table and plopping himself into the seat next to Nami. The navigator immediately handed his beloved straw hat to him and he put it on with a grin.

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, honestly. "Yeah, well that was nice of him." _And…?_

Luffy chuckled as he stole the last bit of cake from Robin's plate and Nami smacked him on the shoulder. "Chopper wouldn't leave Zoro alone if he was in trouble," he explained, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Oh. Right.

"See?" Nami smiled as Luffy pouted at her harsh treatment. "Nothing to worry about." She glanced at Robin and Franky before continuing, "What we _should_ be thinking about is how we're going to beat Shogun when we arrive at the next island."

"Well, we know he's after those Gem things that Syla mentioned," Ussop nodded.

"So the best thing to do would be to find them before he does," Franky added.

"Because if he gets to them first," Nami shrugged.

"It's over," Syla confirmed. "There wont be any way to stop him."

As one they all looked at Robin, who gracefully raised one delicate eyebrow.

"I have heard of them," the archeologist admitted. "Although nothing about them being so close to the Red Line. The stories always pointed to the Gems as hidden in the same place as the One Piece, at the end of the Grand Line."

"But that's still a long way off," Ussop frowned. "You mean we'll have to chase this bastard to the end of the world, just to stop him?"

"I doubt it," Syla answered when Robin shrugged in reply to the sniper's question. "Most of the Gems' legends are well over a century old, some closer to an entire millennia. Most likely, they've already been relocated."

"What are they?" I asked. I felt a lot like I was butting in to a private conversation, but my curiosity and nervousness were beginning to get the better of me.

Robin shrugged again and Syla pursed her lips together, both women looking slightly uncomfortable.

"I don't know, actually," Robin answered. Syla nodded shortly in agreement. "Although there are several stories about Sihgdbar's Gems, it would seem that, after they were hidden away a long time ago, it was far too long to remember the nature of the objects by the time they had resurfaced again."

"No one has seen them recently, either," Syla said, still looking a little frustrated at their lack of information. "The Gems are sealed in a casket made of techtine steel, the same material as my chains, and it's said to be very nearly impossible to break through it."

"Then maybe Shogun wont be able to get to them," I said hopefully.

"_Nearly_ impossible," Nami repeated. She was looking uncharacteristically tired as she leaned lightly against Luffy's shoulder. "I'm sure that unbelievable bastard will have thought of a way to do it."

"It seems likely," Robin agreed. "If he knows of the same legends, he will know what the casket is made of, and no doubt he has already been thinking of ways to open it."

"But he can't if we find it first, right?" Luffy put in, adding his bit to the conversation for the first time since it had started. Up until this point, he had been busy with trying to sneak bits of potato from the plate still sitting in front of Franky, with the cyborg attempting to guard his unwanted dinner by use of a butter knife.

"That's the idea," Nami told him as the captain gave up on Franky's food and began to eye Ussop's instead.

"Then we'll just have to find it," Luffy said, as if this declaration solved all of our problems.

"Don't say it like that, Luffy," the sniper protested. "Haven't you been listening? This casket hasn't even been seen in at least a hundred years, it's not like we're just going to run across it by chance at the next island or something."

"How do you know that," Luffy argued back, "if it hasn't been seen for so long?"

Ussop opened his mouth to reply, paused, and closed it again. Although Luffy did have a (very small and loosely based) point, the likelihood of wandering onto the Gems at the first opportunity was slim. Yet we all knew there was no way Luffy was going to listen to reason. He hadn't ever done so before, so why start now?

The tension and frustration in the people at the table was beginning to rise steadily, and after a short-lived glaring contest between captain and sniper, Nami stood from her chair with a sigh.

"Everyone go get some rest for now," she ordered. "We wont be able to think properly while we're all exhausted anyway, and the break will give us a chance to do a little research," she gestured from herself to Robin. "Syla, if you're not too tired, maybe you could help us out?"

"Of course," Syla stood from her chair, much slower than I though was probably normal for her, but remained steadily on her feet without any assistance. "I would be happy to help in any way I can."

"Good," Nami nodded in thanks. "I have a feeling we'll need it. Renna," she turned to me next, "Chopper is probably nearly finished fixing Sanji, you can start going that way if you like."

I nodded and stood up as well, but Nami wasn't quite finished.

"After he's done taking a look at your cuts," the navigator continued, "could you come up to the library for awhile?"

"Uh, sure," I answered, having no idea why Nami would want me in the library. It wasn't as if I knew anything about the Gems or the casket anyway. And besides, between Robin and Syla, Nami would have all the help she could possibly get.

Nami nodded in satisfaction and the crew began to move away from the table, heading for various locations on the Sunny. Syla and Robin followed Nami out the back via another obnoxious ladder, and Franky and Ussop took Luffy out to the deck with them, Brook not too far behind the small group. I could hear Luffy whining loudly about needing 'more meat' and 'where was Sanji?' until he was successfully dragged to the other side of the ship.

I made my way once again to Chopper's examining room with very little trouble, finally getting used to the layout of the ship. Reaching for the handle, I paused with my fingers just above it as I began to slowly recognize the voice of the aggrivated cook inside the room.

"-and I am _not_ wearing a splint for the next week!" Sanji was saying angrily. His words were punctuated with loud, staccato growling sounds that I had to guess were coming from the swordsman. It figured he would be asleep.

"Don't you _dare_ try to walk around without a splint, Sanji!" Chopper replied in a surprisingly forceful tone. "Do you want to damage that leg even more than it already is? Do you want to be able to _use it ever again?_"

"You're being overly-dramatic," Sanji snorted in irritation over Zoro's snoring. "It's not even fractured and I can't move around the kitchen properly with a piece of wood tied to my leg- _and would you stop all that damn racket, shithead?_" The cook's volume shot up at the end of his sentence, leaving no doubt as to whom he was addressing. "Shut the hell up, moss brain!"

BAM.

"What the _hell_, cook!"

"Sanji, you can't kick him!" Chopper shouted, sounding both worried and angry. "No Zoro, don't get up-! Hey!"

I figured it would probably be a good time to announce my presence and knocked loudly and deliberately on the door. I had thought about just going in, but had absolutely no urge to walk in on a fight between those two monsters, even with Chopper in the same room. It was much safer this way.

The silence was immediate, and lasted until the door swung open and I looked down to see the little doctor peering up at me, the corners of his mouth still pulled into a frown.

"Oh, hi Renna," Chopper greeted, perking up a bit and opening the door the rest of the way to let me inside the small room. "I'm almost finished with Sanji, so go ahead and take a seat over there," he pointed to a collapsible cot that I was sure hadn't been there earlier. "It'll just be another few minutes."

"No problem," I answered easily. I stepped through the doorway to let Chopper close the door behind me.

The two men had frozen beside the cot Zoro had been resting on, with the cook raising one leg and the swordsman sitting up and scowling darkly. Sanji put his foot on the floor in a grudging manner and Zoro sat back again, although he remained in a seated position instead of laying down.

"Ah, Renna," Sanji sighed. "Your lovely face is certainly a sight for sore eyes, especially in present company." He shot a disgusted look at Zoro, who growled back in warning.

"Hi, Sanji," I greeted just before the cook was forcefully dragged to the chair by Chopper. I hopped up onto the extra cot and studied the wall to avoid meeting the green eye I could feel boring into the side of my face. After another few minutes and a second, less heated, squabble, Sanji left the room with a new splint tied around his shin and Chopper turned his attention to me, instead.

"All right, Renna," Chopper began as he turned and hopped up onto his desk to dig around in a cabinet. "Come sit down on the chair, I'll take a look at those cuts. And Zoro," he added a little more sharply. "Don't think I haven't noticed. I told you to lay down."

Zoro growled something indistinguishable but pulled his legs onto the cot and placed his head on the pillow with an annoyed sigh.

I forced back a smile, wondering how such a small creature could hold so much power over such an undoubtedly larger and stronger being. Practice, I decided as I sat in Chopper's desk chair. That must be it.

The doctor got strait to work and started to clean the small, shallow cuts on my hands and arms with quick efficiency. "So," he said after a moment. "Did they say anything in the kitchen?"

"Hm?" I said, having zoned out for most of the cut-cleaning process. "Oh, yeah. They were talking about the Gems again."

Chopper's nose twitched and I could tell the subject was bothering him, as well. "Anything new?" he asked.

"Not much," I admitted. "Robin and Syla seem to know a little bit about them, but no one really knows exactly where, or even what, they are." I sighed and removed my jacket at Chopper's prodding. "I guess it's back to square one again."

"What does Nami say?" the doctor lifted a small swab of something that smelled like alcohol to a larger cut on my shoulder and I winced. "Sorry."

"Nami said to rest," I answered, trying to ignore the slight stinging on my skin. "And they'll talk more about it later. We don't have much time," I added thoughtfully.

Chopper nodded in acknowledgement. "What about Luffy?"

"He seems to think finding the Gems before Shogun can is the best route," I gave a small smile. "But again, no one knows where they are."

"I doubt that'll stop Luffy," Zoro spoke up from the cot. So, he had actually been listening.

"Yeah," I agreed. "But in any case, Nami, Robin and Syla are up in the library right now, trying to find information on these…what did she call them? Scimitar Gems?"

"Sihgdbar's Gems?" Zoro asked. He rolled over and studied me with new interest, his eye more focused than it had been before.

"Yeah," I said, surprised. "How did you know?"

Zoro looked away and frowned thoughtfully. "I hadn't even considered it," he said, more to himself than to us, "But that would definitely make sense."

"What would make sense?" Chopper asked. He had paused in placing his cleaning utensils on the desk and was now turned toward the prone swordsman. He looked just as surprised as I felt. I couldn't say I blamed him, as Zoro wasn't exactly know for being a well of information on most subjects.

Zoro was silent for a moment, then, "Renna, go find Robin. If she doesn't know what she's looking for, then she'll probably be looking in the wrong place." He forced himself up onto one elbow, ignoring Chopper's squeak of protest to look directly at me again. "If I'm right, then we're not looking for any kind of fancy rocks. We're looking for swords."

"Swords?" I repeated.

"Yeah," Zoro nodded his head a fraction. "Go tell them. Now."

I stood from the chair and picked up my jacket. "How do you even know-"

"Just go," Zoro interrupted sharply. He rolled onto his back again, facing away from me. "We're running out of time."

I clenched my jaw at his tone but didn't argue. He was right, anyway. Giving Chopper a strained smile I turned and left the medical room to locate the library, still wondering how Zoro knew something that even the infallible mind of Robin couldn't locate.

This was definitely getting weird.


	17. Chapter 17

I am _BACK,_ baby!_ Yes!_ And I am also very, very sorry it's taken such a ridiculously long time to post this. My only excuse is that I wanted to finish Green Scales before doing anything else, but once it was done my muses decided they had earned a vacation and promptly disappeared. They are back now though, so hopefully I can flesh out the rest of the outlines I've made for this story. I'm sorry I fail so hard, and I'll do my best to keep this thing going at a more steady pace. That said, let's get to it.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Warnings: Not really any in this one, maybe some very mild language.

A/N: Fixed!

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><p>Three steps down the hall the swordsman's quiet rasp caught me in my tracks.<p>

"Wait."

I paused for a moment, wondering if I had imagined it, and turned back around when he continued.

"Renna. Come here."

I walked back to the door, wondering what he could possibly want now, and leaned against the frame to look inside the room. "What?"

Zoro was laying on his back, not looking at me, frowning almost thoughtfully. "If they are Sighdbar's Gems," he started slowly, as if measuring his words. "There are three of them."

Three? I thought to myself. Why three? Although it would probably explain a little about how Zoro even knew of them, as he was a swordsman and seemed to have an odd affinity with three of anything.

"Alright," I said out loud. "I'll tell Robin."

Zoro seemed to lose a small amount of his previous tension, relaxing into the cot as I pushed away from the door to continue down the hallway.

I found my way up to the library of the Sunny, still thinking about what the swordsman had said, and knocked on the door before pushing it open to slip through it into the circular room.

Nami and Robin were standing on either side of a long table, heads bent together while they poured through several open books set out in front of them. Nami raised her head briefly in acknowledgement and Robin lifted two fingers in my direction in a short greeting, her sharp eyes never leaving the pages of the book she was reading. I waved to both of them before closing the door again and walking further into the room, finally spotting Syla sitting at a chair near the window just as I opened my mouth to tell them about the swords, and found myself freezing in surprise mid-action.

Syla had removed her long jacket and was turned to her left to gaze through the glass, giving me a clear view of her right side. In this position I immediately noticed that the right sleeve of her shirt seem to have been blown off completely, revealing intricate lines of a solid black, almost swirling pattern that covered her pale arm from shoulder to wrist. They were oddly pretty, in a way, and gave the small woman a more dangerous and edgy air than she had already, but seemed a little out of place on her light skin all the same.

I opened my mouth again, my train of thought completely derailed at the unexpected sight, when Syla turned very suddenly to catch me staring and shook her head a fraction.

"Later," she said quietly, having probably already guessed at what I wanted to ask, before nodding her chin toward Nami and Robin pointedly.

Nami, despite having not even seen the movement, straightened to her full height without any prodding and turned to face me fully. "Renna," she nodded once before getting straight to the point. "I'm sorry, but we need to ask another favor from you." She was wearing a small, almost reassuring smile at the corners of her mouth, but her brown eyes were unusually serious.

"What is it?" I asked, instantly wary. The last time she had asked a favor from me, I had been threatened by a crazy person, chased by a wolf monster, and nearly drowned in a river.

Nami sighed heavily. "I had a little discussion with Chopper earlier," she started as she turned back to the table to flip the page of one of the open books. "While you were practicing with your cannon. We were wondering if Zoro should be allowed to fight Shogun again, given his current condition, and after this last encounter, my mind is made up." She looked over at me with the same serious expression. "He'll have to stay on the Sunny when we reach the next island."

"He's not going to like that," I frowned. Not that I disagreed with her at all, but given that Zoro was just as stubborn as Luffy, I couldn't see him taking that kind of news very well.

"No, he wont," Nami agreed. "Now, I could probably convince Luffy to _order_ him to stay on the ship, but I don't really want to have to resort to that. It'll just make Zoro angrier."

I felt a little surprised at that, before remembering that Nami did actually care a great deal for every member of the crew, even if she hid it well most of the time. "Okay," I said. "Makes sense, so far. But what do you need me for?"

"Well," Nami gave a half-hearted shrug. "He's still in charge of watching you, right? And Shogun is still interested in you as well, so…" she trailed off.

"You want me to stay on the ship with Zoro," I finished, still frowning. Just the two of us, with Zoro still out of commission, docked next to an island hiding a dangerous demon-god-man. The idea sounded very close to suicidal.

Nami watched my face as I thought over her request, and eventually nodded. "Yeah," she acknowledged quietly. "It's risky. That's why it has to be your decision. We can't bring you with us this time, Shogun will be expecting that, so your only other option is to hide somewhere on the island by yourself. If you stay on the ship you might be better protected, at least."

"I hadn't thought of that," I admitted. Then, choosing the lesser of two evils, I agreed to the navigator's request without complaint. "Alright. I'll stay with Zoro."

"Good," Nami smiled. "The rest of us will face off with Shogun, I know Luffy's been dying for another round, and if we can bring that creep down, we might not have to worry about the Gems at all."

I forced a smile, already worried for their safety although we hadn't even reached the next island yet, when her words sank in fully. "The Gems!" I exclaimed, having momentarily forgotten about the odd conversation with the swordsman. "Robin!"

Robin, who hadn't looked away from her books once since I had arrived in the library, raised her head and blinked at me owlishly. "What is it, Miss Renna?"

"The Gems are swords," I blurted out quickly, mentally kicking myself for not saying something sooner.

"How do you know that?" Nami asked, tilting her head in question as Robin frowned thoughtfully.

"It's what Zoro said," I explained. "He said Sihgdbar's Gems aren't rocks, they're swords. And apparently there are three of them." When all three women blinked at me in surprise I could only shrug in response. "I know, right? It's _Zoro_."

"Which is why we should take note of it," Syla stood from her chair to join Robin and Nami at the table. "If Zoro says the Gems are swords, that's what we should look for."

"Yes," Robin agreed, her slightly dazed expression replaced by one of concentration in a heartbeat. "You're right."

"Do you have any weapons anthologies?" Syla directed toward Robin. "Or anything on famous blades?"

"Several," Robin nodded before sweeping along the bookshelves, pulling a bunch of old tomes and some newer publishes into her arms. A few pairs of disembodied arms got to work behind her, closing the books already laying across the table and stacking them neatly to one side.

I watched them in fascination; even after all this time it was still a bizarre sight. When Robin returned to the table a moment later, I walked around the circular room to sit in Syla's abandoned chair, looking on nervously.

"Three of them, right?" Nami asked as she selected a book and began flipping through it.

"Yes," Syla agreed. She was already studying a large old anthology, the spine of it balanced carefully on her decorated arm. "It would be easier if we knew what they looked like, though," she added a little bitterly.

"We can't be sure they haven't acquired other names, as well," Robin mused. "It is a possibility, after all."

"Crap," Nami muttered.

They continued to talk quietly for a few more minutes while they picked over each book in turn before falling into a tense silence, the rustling of paper the only sound in the room. Robin returned to the shelves once in awhile to either replace the books they no longer needed or to select another. I leaned back in the chair, my head resting against the glass of the large window, and stared out onto the ocean, trying to rein my thoughts into some kind of order before I suffered a full-on panic attack.

I had managed to keep myself quiet for a full thirty minutes before the navigator's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Here," Nami spoke suddenly, holding a worn brown book in her hands. "There's a record of a famous sword that belonged to a Captain Norrin- oh, but wait. There's only _one_ sword." She sighed in frustration. "Robin?"

"I've found something about a set of legendary scimitars," Robin nodded, another book in one of her hands. "They are known as the Sun Stars, but they are currently in the possession of a king in the West Blue. I doubt they've ever been on the Grand Line."

"Cannons, daggers, guns," Syla mumbled in irritation. "Nothing about a set of three swords or a cask of any kind." She sighed heavily before closing her current book and setting it aside to select another.

I stood from my chair and made my way to the table quietly, eager to do something to keep my mind off of what would happen the next day, and reached cautiously for one of the books on the table. When no disembodied hand appeared out of thin air to stop me, I gently picked it up and opened it.

Pointless, I realized not even a second later. Whatever language this book was written in, it wasn't one I had ever seen before.

"That's part of the problem," Nami said quietly from beside me, having noticed my confusion. "Most of these books are written in ancient text. Robin and Syla can read most of it just fine and I'm okay at it, but it's still slowing us down. Even Robin," she added a little more quietly and grinned when the woman in question shot a sharp look her way.

"I am managing, Miss Nami," Robin sniffed, although she didn't seem very upset by the comment.

Nami's grin turned into a giggle but was quickly stifled behind one hand. The other hand reached for a thinner and less worn-looking book, holding it out to me in invitation. "Try this one."

I was kind of astonished that Nami could find any amusement in what I considered a very dire situation, but took the book from her hand without hesitation. "Thanks."

This one was much easier to read, only some of the words were foreign to me, and about halfway through it I saw something that caught my eye, even if it wasn't exactly what we were looking for. "Hey Syla," I turned the book around for the dragon girl to see the pages. "Your blades are in here."

Syla looked up from her reading to glance at the page I was pointing toward. "Not too surprising, I suppose," she smiled. "They are very old, after all." She didn't give much more acknowledgement than that, but she did seem a little less somber as she continued to read.

Taking the subtle hint I started flipping through the book again, not willing to get distracted from what I was supposed to be doing, no matter how curious I was about the Dragon Tooth blades. Besides, I figured, I could always just ask Syla.

By the time I had finished the book the sun was beginning to set, Nami had turned on the lights around the library, and I still hadn't found anything even remotely useful to them. Knowing that I couldn't even read the other tomes I was pretty much at a loss for what to do next. I scrubbed a hand over my face in frustration.

"Why don't you go down to the kitchen for awhile?" Nami suggested lightly. "We'll let you know if we find anything."

"Uhg," I groaned. "I don't know if I can handle having to drink any more tea."

Nami snorted lightly at that but nodded in sympathy.

"You could talk to Zoro," Syla said without looking up. "If he's going to be staying on the ship, he'll probably want to know in advance."

As much as I wanted to put off confronting the cranky bastard I figured Syla was probably right. "Yeah," I nodded. "I can do that." As I turned to leave the library I glanced again at the black designs on Syla's arm, guessing my questions would have to wait a little longer.

I made it back to Chopper's medical room to find the door left open a crack, revealing Zoro sleeping soundly on the cot. He had one arm dangling over the side and was snoring obnoxiously into the quiet room. Pushing the door open a little more I realized Chopper wasn't in the room at all.

I frowned at that for a moment before my brain called up what Luffy had told me earlier that evening:

"_Chopper wouldn't leave Zoro alone if he was in trouble."_

So, Zoro was probably just sleeping off some of the pain, I thought. At least he was resting, for now.

"Reckless idiot," I muttered under my breath, then moved all the way into the room, leaving the door open behind me.

As much as I knew Syla was right, that Zoro would want to know about Nami's plan before we reached the island, I was finding it difficult to even attempt to wake him up. He looked so…well, _peaceful _wasn't really the word for it, more like…_relaxed_. Even with all of his injuries.

I stood indecisively in the middle of the room, next to Zoro's cot, wanting to punch the moron in the face for making me worry and at the same time fighting down the strange urge to hug him, which just proved how stressed I really was about everything.

Eventually I turned away to settle on the opposite cot, my back against the wall and knees drawn up, hiding my face. I found myself almost wishing we would reach the next island soon.

I really didn't know how much more of this I could take.


	18. Chapter 18

Erk, I really suck at this whole updating thing. But we're getting closer to the finale now, so I'll be trying harder to get it done!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

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><p>It was very dark in Chopper's medical room when I sat straight up on the cot, realizing I had fallen asleep while waiting for Zoro to wake up. Turning my head toward the cot holding the aforementioned monster, I felt my heart jump a little when I realized it was empty.<p>

The sight was much more troubling than I would have thought it would be and I scrambled clumsily from my make-shift bed, throwing off a blanket I hadn't even noticed had been covering me before that moment. From the rough texture of the fabric I had a feeling it was the one that had been on Zoro's cot earlier that evening. And where exactly was Zoro, anyway?

The blanket's origins pushed out of my thoughts for now, I opened the door to the medical room and stepped out into the hall. "Zoro?" I called experimentally. As expected, no answer.

_Did that idiot get lost on his own ship again?_ I thought in irritation, still tired from my unexpected nap.

Not having much of a clue as to where he might be hiding (if he had gone to the weight room he would have been kicked out by whoever was currently on watch) I trudged down to the kitchen on exhausted feet.

The kitchen was dark and empty, and almost a little eerie without the lights or the usual people in it, and after a glance at the clock hanging above Sanji's fancy stove, I could understand why. It was three o'clock in the morning; the crew were all most likely asleep in their rooms.

Sighing, I made my way up to the library again on the chance that Robin might still be awake. Maybe she knew where the green nuisance had run off to, and could help me coerce him back into the medial room without having to wake Chopper.

But the library was abandoned as well. I stood in the hallway just outside the door, and after a few moments of allowing my brain to run in circles with useless guesses, I found my feet moving almost of their own accord, making my way out onto the deck and into the cool night air.

The ship's sails were fully unfurled to catch as much of the ocean breeze as it could, and while I couldn't see much of the dark waters around us, it definitely felt like we were moving pretty fast. The deck was also cast in shadow, the only light coming from the observation room. Well, it looked like at least one member of the crew was still awake.

I paused at the railing, one hand pressed to the wood, to survey the grassy deck below me, wondering if I should just give up on trying to find Zoro and go back to sleep instead. As I turned to move toward the kitchen door a light sound caught my attention and I leaned over the wood of the railing instead, straining to listen as hard as I could for the same soft disturbance.

At first there were only the now-familiar sounds of the waves gently pushing at the sides of the Sunny, and the low creak of the rope holding single plank swing under the tree, then…

A voice?

No. _Two_ voices.

In the same moment I recognized the sounds as voices, the little piece of paper in my pocket jumped against my hip and I pulled it out to set it in one hand.

Oh, right. The Card. Duh.

I watched the little Card scoot along my palm in the direction of the foredeck before shoving it back into my pocket and heading toward the stairs. As I crossed the grassy deck of the Sunny, I chanced another look to the side, toward the inky waters surrounding us. The sight was so eerie I looked away almost immediately. I was still definitely not an ocean-traveling kind of person.

The voices became more clear the closer I got to the foredeck, and by the time I had reached the staircase I could pick out Zoro's baritone lilt alongside the much lighter tones of…Syla?

Surprised, my foot paused on the third step as I debated on whether or not I should just leave them to it, before I gave myself a quick mental shake and pressed on.

Peeking above the top of the stairs, I spotted Syla first, seated on the helm's bench with the hand of her decorated arm wrapped around one spoke of the wheel. Zoro was sitting on the deck next to her, arms folded and head lowered as he leaned against the side of the bench. He didn't move so much as a muscle, but, once again, Syla turned to catch me staring and smiled in invitation.

"We were just discussing you," she informed me. "Wondering if one of us should retrieve you or let you find your destination on your own."

"Huh?" I said.

"Did ya get lost?" Zoro asked, as blunt as ever. He raised his head and cocked a dark eyebrow at me in question.

"_Me_?" I spluttered incredulously, ascending the rest of the steps and walking toward them. "_I_ was looking for _you_. And how did you even know I was awake?"

"I could hear you," Syla explained, tugging the helm a fraction as she spoke.

"Hell, _I_ could hear you," Zoro put in. "You weren't exactly being quiet you know, stomping around like a drunk camel."

"I wasn't stomping," I argued. "Not my fault you both have bat-like hearing. Also, I'm not drunk."

"You ran into four different walls," Zoro pointed out.

"I'm tired."

"And you tripped on the stairs."

"The ship is moving."

"What's your excuse for knocking into the kitchen table?"

"Well- I- It was dark in there, alright?"

"It's dark out here, too," Zoro raised his other eyebrow to join the first as I stopped next to him. Close up, I could now see that he wasn't actually irritated in the least. In fact, it looked suspiciously like the green-topped bastard was laughing at me.

"Jerk," I frowned down at him.

"Why were you looking for me, anyway?" Zoro asked suddenly.

"Oh, uh…you were gone, so…" I trailed off lamely.

"I told you not to worry about me," Zoro yawned. "I'm fine."

"I wasn't worried!" I protested, instantly defensive. "I thought you'd wandered off and got lost again!"

"What?" Zoro yelped, sitting straighter to glare at me. "I don't- I'm not lost!"

"Then why are you out here?" I countered.

"I wanted some fresh air," he shrugged. "So I came outside for awhile."

"You mean, you waited until everyone else had gone to bed and then snuck out?" I guessed. When Zoro turned away without answering, I figured I was at least partially correct.

"Whatever." Zoro stretched his legs out in front of him, his movements a little slower than normal. "Just go back to bed or something."

"I'm not tired anymore," I admitted, turning away from him to look past the ship's figurehead. "Too much to think about."

"Don't think about it, then," Zoro suggested.

"How can I not?" I scowled in frustration. "We don't know how to get to the Gems, you're still hurt, and everyone else will be looking for Shogun by noon tomorrow."

"Dawn," Syla interjected. She had been sitting straight-backed at the wheel, staring directly ahead of us and ignoring the argument behind her, but she turned to look at me over her shoulder as she spoke. "By dawn, we will have reached the island."

"That soon?" I asked. "I thought…"

"Your navigator was right," Syla said quietly. "The currents are moving faster the closer we get to Shogun. We're running out of time more quickly than we had previously thought." She reached down and pulled at a lever near the bottom of the wheel, locking the rudder into place.

"Well, that's just great," I huffed, sitting on the deck beside Zoro's boots. Watching the black waters too closely was still freaking me out a little.

"I'm kinda surprised you're out here," Zoro noted, looking at me curiously. "You know, with your fear of sea monsters and everything."

"Why?" I asked quickly. "Do you think there are more of them?" I hadn't given the possibility a lot of thought, and only now realized that had been a bit stupid of me.

"Don't know," Zoro shrugged again, appearing completely disinterested in the thought of a potential threat. "Hard to see anything right now…"

"Uhm…" I moved a little closer to him and he snickered almost inaudibly. "What- Are you making fun of me?" I snapped. "What's wrong with you? There could be any number of monsters out there, and you're not even worried that you can't see anything?"

"Nope."

"What the hell-"

"There's no danger yet, Haeven," Syla cut in again. "I can still see perfectly, even in the dark. There are no monsters in the immediate vicinity."

_Just the two sitting on this deck_, I thought, still a little sulky about being teased.

"Relax, Renna," Zoro nodded, still smirking annoyingly. "Or you're gonna wear yourself out before we even get there."

"Rel- How am I supposed to do that?" I demanded. "Do you need me to go through the list of 'Reasons Why We're Screwed' again?"

"What can you do from here?" Zoro asked. He wasn't grinning anymore, but still wasn't back to his usual stern-looking self, either. "Nothing. So think about something else for now."

"Like what?"

"You wanted to ask me something earlier," Syla turned her small body on the bench to face me and raised her right arm. "Something about these, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded, looking over the swirling black lines again. "I guess." I glanced from her arm to her face, still unsure of how to phrase a question that wouldn't seem too intrusive. "So…nice tattoos?"

Syla turned her arm over, frowning thoughtfully. "They certainly look like tattoos, don't they? They're not."

"They're not?" I repeated, a little surprised despite myself. I caught Zoro smirking again out of the corner of my eye and knew I was falling for the bait, but no longer really cared about that. "What are they?"

"It's the sign of the Dragon Tooth Clan leader," Syla explained. "The Clan never had an actual royal bloodline. We were a military-based government centered around the leader, the General, the one born with the highest concentration of Wind Dragon blood." She set her arm down across her knee, leaning forward. "It was a flawed system, but no worse than a monarchy, I suppose."

I drew my knees up in front of me, blocking some of the cool night air. "What do you mean?"

"The title was never earned," Syla frowned. "It was only ever given by chance of birth. I just happened to be born with the markings."

"You didn't like it?" I asked.

"That wasn't it," Syla shook her head. "I loved it, but I never took it seriously. Not until…"

I suddenly remembered Zoro saying that Syla's people had been wiped out and scrambled for a quick change of subject. "Hey, that jacket of yours-"

"Dragon skin," Zoro drawled, clearly bored with the conversation. I glared at him pointedly and he frowned back. "Oh, come on. You couldn't guess that on your own?"

"It is dragon skin," Syla agreed. "Very old, nearly indestructible and fire-proof dragon skin. It was my brother's jacket."

I couldn't decide if I was surprised or not that Syla would have any siblings, but a second later came to the conclusion that it didn't really matter anyway. "The jacket is dragon skin. Got it. So, that wolf thing-"

"The Lumbra," Syla corrected me.

"Yes, that guy," I nodded. I still hadn't really forgiven it for chasing me through the woods and into a river. "Where did it come from?"

"I found it," she said simply.

I had been expecting something a lot more elaborate than a random finding, and felt my eyebrow pop up toward my hairline. "You found it?" I asked slowly.

"Yes. The poor thing was wandering around on an island a few years ago, completely alone and scared out of its mind, just a pup at the time." She sighed, scanning the surrounding ocean again while she continued. "I felt so sorry for it, I couldn't just leave it there."

I thought of the giant black beast that I had now seen on two separate occasions, and just couldn't picture ever feeling sorry for it. "Sure," I nodded in agreement anyway. "I guess that makes sense. So where does it stay when it's not trying to maim, chase, or eat anyone?" I had thought about the question a few times already, but hadn't really had an opportunity to ask it until now.

Syla gave a light snort of amusement before lifting her right arm again. "See this?" she asked, running one pale finger down a particularly bold line which seemed to weave around the other markings, instead of flowing with them. "This is the Lumbra."

"That one means Lumbra?"

"It _is_ the Lumbra."

"So…" What did that even mean? "It's a magical, transforming, tattoo-wolf," I concluded, still trying to understand what the hell she was talking about. I decided right then that my questionnaire was at an end, as I now had even more questions and hardly any answers to balance them.

"I suppose you could say that," Syla agreed. "In a manner of speaking, anyway." She stood from the bench and stretched her shoulders in a fluid motion. "Well, since the currents are moving too fast to be comfortable for most sea kings, I doubt we'll run into much trouble before we reach the next island. Keep an eye on the weather, regardless. I'm going inside to rest for awhile. Goodnight."

I waved to her as she turned to go and Zoro gave a short grunt of acknowledgement, still propped up against the side of the bench. When she was gone, I got up from the deck to take Syla's abandoned seat, leaning forward in a similar position.

"So, you and Syla," I started, watching the side of Zoro's face for a reaction, although I hardly expected one at this point.

"What about it?" he asked.

"You know, Zoro," I raised one hand to my chin, my elbow propped on my knee. "You're really damned inconsistent with her."

"The hell does that mean?"

"I mean, what you _say_ to her and what you _do _around her are completely different." I waited for a moment to see if he would deny it, and when he remained silent I continued. "Like on the last island, when you ran off toward the cliff, you didn't push me toward Nami, or Ussop, or Robin. You pushed me toward Syla."

"So?"

"And when she used that Surge attack," I ignored his question. "When we thought she'd been killed, you ran after her despite having said, just hours before mind you, that you were never going to like her."

"That doesn't even count," Zoro folded his arms loosely across his bandaged chest. "As you said, we thought she was dead."

"Ah. So you do like her, then?" I asked hopefully. It would be a hell of a lot easier on everyone if those two would just agree to disagree. Not that I was really one to talk about agreeing with obnoxious swordsmen in the first place.

"What? No, I didn't say that." Zoro shifted around to look at me and leaned against the railing again. "Look, I'm just used to her. That's all."

I let out a small huff of annoyance, figuring it was the closest thing I was going to get to a confession. "If you say so."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, staring off in different directions, before I made an attempt at doing what I had originally come out to the foredeck to do.

"Are you going to-"

"No."

"I didn't even ask yet," I scowled.

"I'm not going inside," Zoro stated firmly. "If I have to sit this out, I'd like to at least enjoy some relaxation outdoors before they lock me in."

"How do you know about that?" I asked, although I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

"Syla," Zoro confirmed. "She was already at the helm when I got here, said she wanted to talk, so I stayed."

"That was easy," I noted. "And I'll bet it didn't even hurt."

"Don't patronize me," he grumbled. "I didn't want to, but she asked about you, so I stuck around."

"She's not after me, remember?" I pointed out. "You don't have to guard me from her."

"Old habits," Zoro shrugged.

The image of Syla in the clearing came to mind, along with the memory of her saying something very similar, and I grinned at him.

"Stop that," he groused.

"Stop what?"

"Stop smiling at me like that. It's weird."

"Speaking of smiling," I leaned further down to look him in the eye. "What was with you earlier? Exactly how much blood did you lose?"

"A few pints," Zoro answered with a yawn. "Not much. Why?"

"Nothing," I shook my head and sat up again. Hopeless, that man.

We fell into another short-lived lapse of silence, broken this time by Zoro.

"When we get to the island, what are you going to do?"

"Huh?" I moved my attention away from the lights of the observation room to focus on his face again. "What do you mean? Syla didn't tell you?"

"Nah, she just said Nami had told me to stay on the ship. She didn't mention your plans."

"Then what did she ask about?" I wondered.

"Never mind that," Zoro shook his head. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll stay on the ship too, I guess," I answered. "Why?"

"Because," Zoro's sharp gaze moved past me, toward the figurehead of the Sunny. "We're here."


	19. Chapter 19

This thing really hates me sometimes. I mean it.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Warnings: Brief, Mild Language

Sorry this is dragging out so long ^^; I hope you enjoy anyway!

* * *

><p>I stood from the bench and stared out at the ocean in front of us, but was met with nothing more than the same inky darkness that had been present since I had first stepped outside that night. "I don't see anything."<p>

"We're here," Zoro repeated, pushing himself to his feet as he spoke. He turned and called behind him, toward the observation room. "Brook! Get everyone on deck! We're landing soon!"

I was about to volunteer to get them myself, thinking it might be faster than waiting for Brook to come down from the observation room, when a loud, fast-paced violin battle march filled the air around the ship, making the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up in alarm. I looked at Zoro in confusion.

"Franky fixed the speaker yesterday," he explained.

"Ah," I nodded. Before I could fully turn around, Luffy had landed on the foredeck and started trotting toward Zoro, already dressed and clutching his hat to his head.

"Is it the island?" the captain asked eagerly. "Is that old guy there?"

"Yes," Zoro answered patiently. "And probably. That's why we're here, anyway."

"Good," Luffy shot him a quick grin and was off toward the front of the ship without another word.

"I still don't see anything," I mumbled, taking another look at where I assumed the horizon would be, if it were actually visible. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Zoro answered quietly over his shoulder. "Trust me, it's there."

I kept searching, taking an unconscious step closer to the swordsman at the same time. "Where?" I whispered.

"Directly ahead of us," Zoro replied, although he was still facing the staircase. "You'll be able to see it in a few minutes, the sun is coming up."

I had only a second or two to wonder when Zoro had become so much more agreeable, before several pairs of feet sounded on the steps and I leaned around him to see the rest of the crew coming toward us. They too were already fully dressed, and wore expressions of determination much more grim than the one I had seen on their captain.

"Alright," Nami reached the wheel of the Sunny first and turned to address the others. "We're coming in fast, so everyone be ready. We still don't know what to expect here."

"Perhaps we should circle to the other side of the island," Robin spoke up. "There is a rock quarry on the south end, according to the map, and it doesn't seem to be as inhabited as the north side. Given his reclusive habits, it is more likely our target will be in that area."

I shuddered at the words 'our target' but kept quiet, still partially hiding behind the swordsman's sleeve.

"I don't really care where we fight him," Franky shrugged. "But a non-populated place would be more ideal, I guess." He walked forward to take position beside Nami. "What do you think, Sis?"

"Listen to Robin," Nami nodded in affirmation. "But follow the outside current; the others are moving too fast, we could crash into the island before we have a chance to dock."

Franky grunted in response and bent down to unlock the wheel, turning the Sunny just slightly to the left.

I was still staring as hard as I could toward the bow, but even with the soft blue and gold light now moving quickly across the horizon, I still couldn't see the island. Biting my lip in frustration I turned to the side and nearly fell over in shock, letting out a sharp squeak and backpedaling quickly to steady myself just in time.

"Uhm, Zoro?" I asked shakily. I took another step backward and nearly stepped on Syla, who seemed to have snuck up from behind without me noticing her at all. "Is that…?"

"Yeah," Zoro nodded. "That's it."

"Wha-" I gasped at the barely visible looming mass far too close to the Sunny's rail for my comfort. "_We're right on top of it_!" I hissed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I _did_," he grunted, clearly annoyed. "Pay attention when people talk to you."

Trying to calm my pounding heart, I stood with the rest of the crew as we slid past the beginnings of the island, finally realizing why I hadn't been able to see it until that moment. Everything from the grains of sand on the beach to the tall jagged outcroppings of rock looked like they were made of tiny mirror fragments. This meant instead of seeing what was actually in front of me, I had been looking at the reflections of the surrounding ocean. I hadn't been able to see the island at all. Now, with the sun rising fully into view, the island's surface shone in uneven sparks of bright light and smooth, dark waves. The jolting light patterns revealed the outlines of the rugged island, although we were still just far enough away for the details to still be somewhat hidden.

I looked on as the Sunny sailed perpendicular to the half-concealed shore, still wondering if what I was seeing was real. "It's reflective?" I asked, feeling completely befuddled.

"It's a chameleon island," Robin explained. "Most likely, the effect is directly linked to the rock quarry. I would guess from this effect it's a kind of Lunar stone." She finished the short explanation with a shrug and smiled when I only looked more confused.

"It's the dust," Ussop supplied. "That's what gives the island it's reflective appearance. When the wind picks up, it covers everything in Lunar stone dust, turning the whole place into a big, lumpy mirror. The only time it's visible from any distance is during sunrise and sunset."

"I said you'd be able to see it soon," Zoro frowned down at me. "Don't be so impatient."

I didn't even have it in me to fight with him right then, not that I would have had the opportunity, anyway.

"Zoro, take Renna inside before we get any closer," Nami ordered suddenly. "Stay out of sight."

"Yeah, I got it," Zoro scowled, still very unimpressed about being stuck on the ship. "Get moving, Renna."

I wanted to ask if it would absolutely kill him to not be such an ass, but the sight of the bandages still covering his torso kept my mouth firmly closed. I had trotted after him a few steps toward the staircase when I felt a small hand on my arm, stopping me momentarily. Before I could even look behind me a light weight covered my shoulders over my jacket.

"Take this with you," Syla said seriously. "It may come in handy."

I glanced down and realized she had set her dragon skin jacket around my upper body. "What about you guys?" I asked, running my fingers over the jacket's smooth, shiny surface. "Wont you need it?"

"If something happens here," Syla tilted her head before shooting a sidelong look at Zoro. "You'll need it more."

"Hey," Zoro called behind him. "Let's go."

"Okay," I gave Syla a quick, forced smile before moving toward the stairs once more.

I stopped again when I felt as if I had been forgetting something and paused beside the top step. Turning around I was met with the full view of the crew, all standing with their backs to me, still as statues and completely focused. Even Luffy, stationed at the front of the ship, was silent.

I wasn't entirely sure what to do, my fingers wrapping in the edges of the jacket. Was I supposed to say something? Wish them luck or tell them to be safe?

"Renna, let's _go_. Hurry."

I looked down toward where Zoro was standing on the bottom step. "I…I don't…"

He sighed, seeming to know what I was thinking. "It's fine," he said, a little less gruff than before. "Come on."

With a last look at the Straw Hats (and Syla) I spun on my heel and practically flew down the stairs, stumbling on the last few steps and hitting the grass on my hands and knees, the odd jacket sliding from my shoulders.

"Don't hurry _that_ much," Zoro snickered. "Let me guess; the stairs moved?"

"Shut up, cave man," I mumbled, the insult sounding hollow even to my own ears. I ignored the annoyed puff of air from above me and climbed unsteadily to my feet, picking Syla's jacket from the ground and following Zoro across the deck and through the door to the galley without another word.

The click of a closing door had never sounded louder to me than in that moment.

* * *

><p>I glanced at the clock in the galley for the upteenth time and sighed, still running my hands over the jacket across my lap. It felt as if it had been hours since the crew left the Sunny to find Shogun, but in reality had only been around twenty minutes.<p>

Upon entering the ship I had managed to convince Zoro to go back to the medical room (by 'convince' I mean he was really just too tired to argue with me anymore) and stationed myself at the kitchen table to wait. What I was waiting for exactly, I couldn't really say.

Just a few minutes into my watch duty I had heard sounds out on the deck that nearly scared me out of my skin; a low, almost humming growl and heavy padded steps. It had taken a few seconds of terror to place the sound as belonging to Syla's pet wolf-monster, which was currently still pacing around the Sunny on a kind of guard run. Apparently the jacket wasn't the only gift she had left behind for us.

Rolling the article into a ball I set it on the table in front of me and pressed the side of my face against the cool surface, trying very hard to remain calm and having absolutely no success. In my current worked up state, it was no surprise that I flew out of my chair so fast I ended up on the floor of the galley when a low scratching sounded at the door.

"Bah!"

The scratching started again just as I was using a nearby chair to pull myself to my feet, followed this time by a quiet whine.

"I'm not letting you in here," I called to the Lumbra, still shaking a little from the scare. "Sanji will be _so_ pissed if you wreck his kitchen." I wasn't even sure if it could understand me, but with every other wacky thing running loose in this world, I wouldn't have been surprised either way.

The whining continued for awhile before it occurred to me that there might be an enemy close by, and maybe the Lumbra was trying to get inside to protect itself. If that was the case, I really couldn't just leave it outside, could I?

Moving quickly, I shrugged out of my cropped jacket and pulled my arms through the sleeves of the much longer jacket before creeping toward the door. Once in front of the wood I reached up and hooked my fingers on the rim of the round window, standing on the tips of my toes to see through the glass. The Lumbra moved into view, walking backward toward the rail, then trotted forward again to scratch at the door.

"Stop that," I scolded, dropping again to slide the bolts free. "Franky wont be too happy either if you damage anything." I opened the door a crack, forcing myself to not run away from the big hairy animal, and hissed through the space, "Alright, get in here. But don't break anything." I swung the door open the rest of the way, hoping the Lumbra would dart inside so I could close it again as soon as possible.

Instead, it backed up and swung it's head around with a growl, looking toward the front of the ship before focusing its creepy yellow eyes on me once more.

"Come on," I urged. "Get in here."

Again, the Lumbra backed away from me, its head moving wildly as it whined and shimmied toward the stairs. After watching it for another moment, I finally caught on to what it wanted.

"I'm not supposed to go outside," I hissed. "I have to stay here."

The Lumbra ignored my refusal, moving toward me so fast I didn't have time to even think about slamming the door closed before it latched it's teeth around the edge of Syla's jacket and pulled me out of the galley.

"What the hell?" I squeaked. "Let go! Crazy dog!"

Once again I was ignored as Syla's pet tugged me all the way down the stairs and across the lawn of the Sunny, it's grip on the dragon skin careful but firm. By the time it let go again, I was very aware it could probably swallow me whole, but wouldn't do so. With that thought in mind I took a deep breath and followed it up the staircase to the fore deck.

"I'm really not supposed to be out here," I whispered, watching as it danced around by the starboard rail and pawed at the deck. "What if something happens?" Keeping low, I pulled the hood of the jacket over my head and crept toward Syla's impatient scout. "What do you want?"

The Lumbra stood on it's back legs, placing it's front paws on the rail and looking down into the shallows with another growl.

A horrible thought occurred to me and I dropped low again. "I can't fight sea monsters!" I squeaked. "_You_ take care of it!"

The big animal made a coughing sound, as if it were scoffing at my cowardice, then lowered it's head back down toward the water in a more pointed gesture. It stomped one paw impatiently on the wood of the rail and shook it's massive head, obviously wanting me to move to the edge of the ship.

Realizing it wasn't going to leave me alone until I did as it wanted, I slinked forward again and took hold of the rail, leaning over as little as I could to peer into the clear, shallow water surrounding the Thousand Sunny. Something long and shiny caught my eye immediately and I nearly growled, myself.

"It's just one of those rocks Robin was talking about earlier," I groaned. "Nothing special. Let me go back inside."

As I turned to make my way back toward the staircase, the Lumbra pushed away from the rail and cut me off, nudging me back toward the side with it's head.

"It's _nothing_!" I repeated. "Just let me- dammit!" Giving in to the prodding I turned around I walked back to the rail to lean over it once again, taking a closer look at the shiny object. I froze a moment later, my mind growing numb as I slowly began to recognize the long shape in the water. The almost worried snuffling of the monster beside me was blocked out by the loud ringing in my ears as I gripped the rail beneath my hands.

"Is that…?"

It didn't seem possible.

"Can't be-"

What were the odds?

"-It is."

What was I supposed to do now?

"Holy. Shit."


	20. Chapter 20

Ha! The chapter is finally finished! Zoro was being a pain in the ass, as usual, but I finished it anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

Warnings: Brief, Mild Language.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>I stood at the rail for what felt like an eternity, trying to convince my disbelieving mind that what I was seeing was not what it looked like, but something similar instead. Despite my attempts to deny the evidence, I knew without a doubt that the object half-buried in the sand beneath just a few feet of water was indeed the casket the crew had been searching for.<p>

"_Hey Robin, how are we supposed to find this box thing if we don't even know what it looks like?"_

"_Well, I would guess it would have to be longer in shape, given it's supposed possessions, and most likely the same color as Modokai Syla's chains. I hope that helps, Captain."_

"_Yes! Everyone, look for long silver chains!"_

"_That isn't what she meant!"_

I shook my head to clear it and pulled myself back to the present, and the predicament at hand. "We can't just leave it there," I realized, glancing fearfully at the iridescent island beside the Sunny. "We have to get it up here, somehow. We have to hide it until..." _Until they get back._

The Lumbra pushed off from the rail and in the direction of the galley, whining in what I assumed was supposed to be a question.

"No," I turned away from the water, clutching at the hood of the jacket in frustration. "We can't get Zoro. He shouldn't be in the water, not in his condition." I didn't really want to be in the water, either. If anything were to attack us right now, I was vulnerable enough just standing around in plain sight. Adding water to the mix would only make it worse. Still, with the tiny bit of medical knowledge I possessed, I knew someone with Zoro's injuries would become much worse if they decided to go for a swim.

As my thoughts wandered toward the swordsman, I suddenly remembered something he had told me about Syla, back when we were still under the impression that she was our enemy. Given what I had known then, it had seemed to make sense. Now, however…

"Wait a minute," I turned toward the wolf-like animal beside me. "It was you, wasn't it? Zoro thought Syla had some kind of special senses, a tracking ability. He said it was how she had found us on the last island. He was wrong though, wasn't he? It was you the whole time. You're some kind of tracker."

The Lumbra shook itself in irritation, long black snout pointing back toward the rail of the ship.

"Right," I nodded. "Right, we'll come back to that. We need to hurry." I glanced around the deck, trying to spy something, anything, that might be able to help in any way. After a few more seconds of fruitless searching my shaky memory dug up another tidbit of information. "Oh, I've got it."

I ran to the bench behind the wheel and dropped down beside it, running my hands under the cushion to locate the hidden latch. It was something Luffy had shown to me during my first tour of the Sunny. With everything going on around me now, that peaceful afternoon seemed so far away. I had to remind myself it had only been a few short days since I had returned to this world.

Finally finding the latch, I lifted the top of the bench and reached into the hidden storage compartment. My hands immediately found what I had been looking for, pulling the rope ladder free with a quick tug. "I really do hate these things."

Running back to the rail and nearly tripping twice on the dangling bits of rope, I began to think over the next step in my impromptu plan; how was I going to get that stupid casket on the ship? If it was made of some type of metal, as Robin seemed to believe, I knew I simply wasn't strong enough to pull it up on my own, even if I did somehow manage to tie it to the end of the rope ladder.

Deciding I would have to cross that bridge when I came to it, I set the hooks around the rail and let the ladder drop to the water, the ends of it floating above the casket. Then, taking a deep and shaky breath, I went about hauling myself over the side and onto the swaying ropes, trying to keep my balance and hold on at the same time.

The climb down felt as if it took forever, with my back to the island I couldn't even see if anyone or anything was sneaking up on me. Finally, I felt the waves hitting my feet and let go of the ropes to drop into the shallows. The water was only about chest deep, but I was beginning to wish I had removed Syla's jacket before leaving the ship. Luckily, dragon skin didn't seem to be very absorbent, so at least it wouldn't weigh me down.

Up close I could see the object more clearly. It was only about four feet long, smaller than I had been expecting, and shaped like some kind of strange little coffin. The nearly grotesque reminder of the surrounding danger made me shudder and I immediately focused on the task at hand, wanting to get back to the deck, or better yet, the galley, as soon as possible.

Looking down into the water, I began using my feet and legs to try moving the long box into a more upright position and with the help of the added buoyancy succeeded after only a few minutes. I then wrapped the ends of the rope ladder around it as many times as I could, using all of the strength at my disposal to tie the ropes together tightly. This took more than one attempt; my hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold on to the ropes.

The climb back up to the rail took less time than the climb down, and I pulled myself ungracefully over the side of the ship to land in a soaking pile next to the Lumbra. Pausing momentarily to catch my breath, I stood and grabbed both sides of the rope ladder and pulled hard. It didn't even budge.

"Dammit!" I winced, letting go again. "How am I supposed to-"

The Lumbra cut me off by once again pushing me aside with it's massive head. Once I was out of the way it clamped down on the rope hanging over the side and hauled itself backward with a sharp growl. I watched, fascinated, as inch by inch the wolf monster pulled the top of the rope ladder across the deck, bringing the metal casket all the way up to the rail. It fell over the side and hit the solid wood with a hard thud, making me wince at the sudden sound.

"Quietly!" I shushed. "But…thanks." I took up the ladder in both hands after the Lumbra dropped it and began to pull, my feet sliding on the wet deck. Miraculously it had moved, just a little, and I regained some hope that maybe this wasn't so impossible after all. On the third attempt however I finally lost my footing and hit the deck on my side. "Ow."

Huffing in frustration I stood again and pulled with every bit of strength I had left in me, which admittedly wasn't very much.

"Don't just stand there," I growled at the Lumbra, who had been looking on from beside the wheel. "Help me!"

The big Lumbra gave the wolfish equivalent of a shrug and walked to the other side of the casket, crouching low and pressing it's shoulder against the smooth metal. The casket began to scoot toward me with very little warning and I was forced to scramble backward to avoid being run over by it.

So, I thought, it could definitely understand me. How interesting.

We made it to the stairs, the Lumbra pushing and myself pulling the ropes to guide it, before I said anything else.

"Stop," I panted. "Wait a minute. The stairs."

The Lumbra lifted it's head with a strangely quizzical look, but took a step away from the heavy box, waiting expectantly.

I was standing with my feet on the top stairs and one hand on the side of the casket, the other still holding the ropes. Taking another deep breath I did quick sweep of our surroundings, trying to work out how best to get our cargo from the fore deck to the main deck without being killed by it. After another moment I foolishly decided I could just jump out of the way if it got out of control and took a step backward, directly into something very solid.

"Gah!" I nearly jumped out of my own skin and the dragon skin and flew back up the steps, my brain flurried with the thoughts that Shogun had somehow found me. In my hurried escape attempt I slammed my knee against the end of the casket and fell to the deck again, flipping over to face my attacker.

"The hell are you doing?" Zoro asked bluntly. "You're supposed to be inside."

He was standing on the stairs and glowering at me in question, one arm across the bandages on his chest and the hand of the other holding his three katana. He looked more tired than I had ever seen him, although the fatigue was nearly completely hidden by his scowl.

"The…casket…" I replied shakily. "With the Gems. I found it. Well, the Lumbra found it."

Zoro turned his gaze from me to the metal object beside me, then bent down to retrieve my abandoned ropes and tossed them to the Lumbra without any more questions. "Hey mutt," he growled. "Anchor."

The Lumbra looked less than impressed by Zoro's attitude, but took the ropes into it's mouth and waited.

I watched as Zoro stripped from his yukata, wrapping it around his katana before tying the entire bundle to his back. He then bent down again and took hold of either side of the casket to begin guiding it backward down the stairs, the wolf monster keeping a firm grip on the ropes in front of him.

As much as I wanted to tell him to _stop making himself worse_, I knew he was our best bet at getting the precious object to safety. So I remained quiet, very grudgingly, and crept along the steps beside him, not willing to get too far away from either the swordsman or the Lumbra.

It took the two of them next to no time to conquer the stairs, pulling the casket onto the grass and moving it between the stairs and the cabin's wall, where it would be at least partially hidden. I joined them a moment later and looked up at Zoro.

"Now what?" I asked. "Should we put it below deck?"

Zoro didn't answer, dropping to his knees on the grass and placing his hands on the top of the rectangular box.

"Uh," I started hesitantly. "I don't think you'll be able to open it…"

The stubborn man continued to ignore me, pushing on the top of the casket until he was sweating with the effort of trying to get it to move.

"Zoro!" I reprimanded quietly. "Really, just get it somewhere out of sight!"

Zoro rocked back on his heels with a grunt and I dropped down beside him. For the first time I took a closer look at the strange metal box, noting the uneven patterns that whorled around the outside surface from top to bottom. There was a definite groove on the very top of the side, showing where the lid connected to the rest of it, but the seal was obviously very strong if even Zoro couldn't manage to make it budge.

I was just reaching out to run my fingers over one of the odd patterns on the lid when a loud, thundering crash echoed from the direction of the island, shaking even the deck of the Thousand Sunny.

"What was that?" I squeaked, falling back behind the swordsman.

"They found him," Zoro answered simply. There was almost no inflection in his voice, but I didn't need to see his face to picture the deadly glare he was now shooting toward the island. "We're out of time."

"Time? For wha- _what are you doing_?"

Zoro had stood from the grass and drawn Wado Ichimonji in one fluid movement. "Get out of the way, Renna," he ordered. "We need the Gems. They could be the key to taking down Shogun."

"And how do you plan to use them if they're in pieces?" I demanded, but I was scuttling back away from him anyway. "I don't think that box is exactly normal, Zoro," I added, thinking of the myriad of strange things and occurrences that had led us here in the first place. "You might not be able to cut it, at all."

Zoro, who had already half-raised his white katana, paused with an angry hiss and looked back at me over his shoulder. "What do you want me to do, then?"

"I…" I wracked my brain for any kind of solution, but came up completely blank. "I don't know," I admitted. "Just…maybe we should take it somewhere else." I had moved forward and was kneeling beside the casket again before I knew it, the palms of both hands pressed flat against the lid, and pushed. It was stupid, I already knew there was no way I could move the damn thing by myself, but I was attempting to stop Zoro from losing any more blood while we thought of a way to get at the Gems. Basically, I was stalling.

The lid slid back with a soft hiss, parting from the rest of the box as easily as if it were gliding across a layer of butter.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed in complete and utter surprise. "Hey Zoro, look! It's opening-!"

A hand clamped down on the back of Syla's jacket, pulling me away from the sudden light and intense heat billowing up from under the lid of the casket. The next thing I knew I was rolling across the grassy deck and listening to the snarling and snapping of the Lumbra as I bounced to a painful stop in the middle of the ship.

Raising myself in alarm I immediately searched for Zoro, knowing it had obviously been him who had thrown me away from the light. "Zoro?"

The swordsman was still standing beside the casket, Wado Ichimonji in one hand, but he wasn't moving. Not even when an eerily bright, almost shining mist began creeping from the crack in the metal box, wrapping itself around his legs like a python.

"Hey!" I called in warning. "Get away from it!"

Still, Zoro remained in the exact same position, his back to me. He didn't even attempt to get away as the shifting mist moved up to his waist.

A sudden and horrifying realization hit me like a train and I shot to my feet. He _couldn't _move.

"Dammit, no! Zoro!"

Before I could take so much as a single step, I was knocked down again by something huge and hairy, landing flat on my chest in the grass. The Lumbra took position above me and lowered it's head to block the brightest beams of the burning light, but I could still see the swordsman.

I watched, trapped under the protective shield of the Lumbra, as bit by bit Zoro was swallowed by the pulsing, luminescent mist until I couldn't even see his annoying green head anymore.

"Zoro!"


End file.
